Prime Suspect
by NiGhT-sTaLkEr13
Summary: When rapes and murders begin happening around the mines of Kaon, Megatron is the prime suspect. Is it a relapse, or is he being framed?
1. Chapter 1

Prime Suspect.

**Characters: (main) Megatron, Shockwave (G1).**

Warning: The following fic contains spoilers to my main fic series, profanity, sexual themes, homosexual themes, mentions of sexual violence, adult themes. 

Part I

"Shit…" murmured Megatron, looking at the article that was in the newspaper. He frowned to himself, the picture of the femme looking back at him. She was a worker down in the mines. They weren't in the same sector, but he'd seen her face around a few times—probably from in the mess hall.  
She was dead.  
Raped. Murdered.  
He put the paper down, sighing a little as Shockwave walked into the kitchen, sitting down after picking his mug up that he had made for himself.

"What's wrong?" asked the English accented mech. It was late morning. The weekend. The both of them were free to sleep in as long as they wanted to, and that's what they had done—if not having shared the berth intimately.  
They were both freshly cleaned, armour on, a warm mug in Shockwave's hand, while Megatron's was sitting on the table, the Cybertron newspaper being places beside it. He then saw the front cover, the title giving it away.  
"Did you know her?" he asked. He didn't. Then again, that wasn't much of a surprise. He didn't exactly associate with the miners in the company. He merely designed and drafted the new space-bridge technologies. It was all the same company, but it was a rather massive one. So many different things went on it. Still, he knew that the miners were fairly close to one another while they were down in their sectors.

Megatron looked at his mug, unable to drink any. "Not personally, no…" he said, looking back to his former commander. "I saw her face around a few times. Maybe even spoke to her once. But nothing personal. Still…"

Feeling an antenna go back, Shockwave cocked his helm. "Either way, I apologise if this has an emotional effect on you," he said, letting his hand slide over the table to overlap the ebony one. "You should go to work and pay your respects. It might make you feel better." It was just a suggestion, considering it was the weekend.  
Taking the paper into his hands, he read through the article. "No suspects yet. It also says they're holding a memorial down in the mines for her. Are you sure you don't want to go? I could go with you—considering she was part of the company. It would only be right to pay my respects."

But he didn't even know her! What was the point in going to a memorial if you didn't know the 'bot? It seemed like a waste of time. Not that Megatron didn't like her or anything. But still, they hardly knew one another. He didn't want to be seen going to something like that for someone who meant little to nothing to him. It just seemed pointless.  
"It's fine," he muttered, picking up his mug and taking in a sip of the warm energon. "I have the weekend off. The last thing I want to do is go back to work. I can spend it with you. Plus, I hardly knew her," he stated, giving a soft shrug. "I don't exactly feel comfortable going to someone's memorial when I hardly knew them. Hell, I didn't even go to Starscream's, and he and I knew one another quite personally."

"Yes, but you hated that mech," said Shockwave, giving a small chuckle. The only reason he went to see the mech while he was burning was because he wanted to make sure he was finally gone from this world. He didn't regret what he said to the burning flames, either. Starscream had been nothing but cruel to the both of them, and everyone else around him. He had deserved to die.

"So? I didn't 'like' the femme, either. I never met her long enough to determine something like that. Primus, I don't even remember her name." He pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment. "It's just not my scene, Shockwave," he said, watching as the violet mech placed the paper down.

"Her name was Utora," said Shockwave, his voice quite flat.

"I thought you said you didn't know her."

Shockwave gave another light laugh. "It said her name throughout the entire article, Megatron," he said, standing up from his seat and pouring the rest of his unfinished energon into the sink. He didn't feel all that hungry.

Watching as Shockwave walked from the room, the former warlord heard his mate go upstairs. Probably to work on things. He simply gazed at the newspaper that was sitting, closed, on the table. The femme was pretty. She was young. Very young. He often questioned how someone so young could even make it into the mines like that. Maybe she had connections. Maybe her father worked there? Primus, he knew nothing about her. But why did he feel sympathetic, then? Was it because she had been raped and murdered? He didn't know. All he knew was that looking at her picture made him feel sick.

*****  
As the day progressed, something in Megatron's gut wasn't sitting well. He didn't know what it was, but wherever he looked, all he could see was the story of Utora's death. On the television. In the newspaper. It was even being discussed around town. He felt uneasy around it, like others were watching him. Pinning it on him just because he worked there and his past history.  
With a cigarette in his lips, he brushed the front of his hood, Shockwave walking around inside their apartment. He was out on the balcony—considering he didn't want to piss off his mate or start up a fire inside.  
He didn't hear the door open, he only noticed Shockwave come outside when he felt the mech lean against his back, his arms going around him. "Hmm, what are you up to?" he asked, his optics still looking over the balcony as he removed the cigarette from his lips to give the mech a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Nothing," said the former commander. "I just finished cleaning up the kitchen. You seem distracted. Are you alright?" he asked, his accent soft as his systems purred at the kiss. He knew Megatron was more affected about the death of his fellow miner than he was leading on. He wasn't sure why, but maybe it was because Megatron was once the mech committing such crimes.

"I'm fine," the silver mech said, though uncertainty clear in his voice. He took another drag of his cigarette. "I guess I just wanted to get away from all of the propaganda and news that's going around. Sometimes I think being locked up was a good thing," he said, giving a huff. "At least I didn't have to listen to this shit every solar-cycle."

Shockwave gave a light chuckle. "Oh, Megatron, you know that's a lie. You may like your solitude, but believe me; I know you'd never wish to be locked up again—even if it were to get away from Cybertron's newest scam."  
With a class in his hand, he took a sip of the higher class energon, handing it to his lover. "Why don't you relax? Karmashock called before, he said he wanted to arrange a meeting with you this afternoon. I hope you don't mind that I invited him over for dinner?"

Turning his optics, Megatron parted his lips for moment, though shook his head. "No, that's fine. I hear he's been having a bit of trouble lately. I doubt he wants to talk about it with someone like me, but I can sense when he's distracted in our sessions."  
Karmashock may be a therapist, but even he couldn't hide the signs of personal life during work. He didn't blame him for that. It was impossible to keep the two completely separate. He never discussed them during his session time, and he didn't mind that. Not that he would mind if the mech did.

"Trouble?" asked the violet mech. "Is he alright?"

Megatron put his cigarette butt into the ashtray as he gave a small shrug. "I guess we'll find out tonight," he said, giving the mech a soft smile. He grabbed his arm, having put the glass down onto the small outside table beside him (which was where the ashtray was), and tugged the mech into his lap. "Mm, enough about my therapist. It's the weekend, and I'd like to spend it with you."

"Hmm, you mean romantically?" asked Shockwave, his antennae going back as his cheeks flushed when he saw the look in Megatron's optics. "Well… I could always turn on the bath and we could… share it," he said, his voice soft as he felt Megatron's hand go up against his cheek.

"That sounds... enticing," Megatron whispered, pulling his lover in for a long and tender kiss before letting him go. "Go turn it on, I'll clean up the ashtray," he said, allowing the violet mech from his lap to head upstairs to their bathroom.  
As Shockwave disappeared, he grabbed the ashtray and glass, sculling the contents of the sparkling energon. Once he was finished, he headed upstairs, removed his armour and joined his mate in the tub.

*****  
Letting Karmashock inside, Shockwave offered him a cube of energon. "Megatron is just freshening up," he stated brightly, motioning for the mech to take a seat. "If you two prefer to talk alone, by all means, after dinner I can leave the two of you alone."

Karmashock simply waved a hand, giving his signature smile. "Nah, mate, you're totally welcome to stay. I don't think we're discussing therapy tonight. Just figured I'd catch up with you two. Plus, I needed to get outta my apartment. Feels a bit lonely in there now," he laughed.

A single antenna fell back for a moment before perking back up. "I apologise things went down rather roughly with the femme," he said, knowing the femme had moved out. He honestly hadn't seen it coming so quickly, but considering how quickly and unprofessional the relationship had been, it wasn't the greatest of surprises. He knew things had started getting difficult between the two. And maybe it was for the better. They never dated, but the femme had started to break the rules when she started bringing strangers over.

Tugging on his collar, the therapist shook it off. "Nothing to worry about, ey. I think I prefer being alone in the house, anyway. Nothing to worry about," he stated. "Who knows, maybe I'll start dating again and go after a mech this time. Plus, now I can focus more on my work."

As Karmashock sat down at the kitchen table, Shockwave leant a hand against the counter. "I wasn't aware that you were sexually attracted to mechs."

"Mate, I like personality. Not looks. Doesn't matter what sex they are, as long as they're easy going," said the therapist with a smile. "Besides, it was a bad idea to live with a patient. Way too unprofessional. Not like I loved her or anything."

"So you didn't like her, then?" asked Shockwave. He wasn't surprised when Karmashock looked at him with a questioning gaze. He was just curious. They had seemed so close. Then again, he wasn't exactly an expert on relationships, was he? Hell, the first one he had was with an ex rapist, con and Decepticon ruler.

Looking back down, Karmashock placed his hands onto the table. "I liked her a lot, Shockwave, but I was going through a divorce with Cera. I have a feeling it overwhelmed me, and it lead to poor judgement. I'd be lying if I said I didn't care for her. Of course I did and do. But… No, I didn't live her like that. I respected and adored her, but my spark's not ready for that. Especially not bonding, anyway. Hell, I just got out of my first relationship ever to the femme I had loved most of my life. I think it's safe to say that love doesn't always stay," he said, looking back up as the violet mech took a seat across from him. "But, hey… it just depends on the 'bot, right?" he asked, giving a grin.

With his hands in his lap, Shockwave watched the younger mech. "I know you said this wasn't going to be a therapy night, but you do know that Megatron and I are here for you if you need us. We may not be the best at relationships, and we have our ups and downs, but that doesn't stop us from caring," he said, his accent soft.

"Don't make me feel all mushy," said the therapist, giving a light laugh. "You all know how easily I let things go. It's fine, really. No need to worry about me at all! It's Megatron who I worry about. You know with his conditions—all of them—that he's a true fighter." He bit down on the energon stick that was in front of him, being offered on the table.

Shockwave knew Megatron was a strong mech for being here today with all that he had suffered. He didn't need Karmashock to tell him that, but it was always interesting to hear from the psychological point of things.

"You know, sex addicts aren't all fun and games, Shockwave," continued the therapist. "Now, I'm not speaking of Megatron here, merely the situation that some suffer." He wasn't going to break patient/doctor confidentiality.  
"Most would think having sex three times a day would be bliss, yeah?" he said, watching as Shockwave went a little dark in the cheeks. He gave a mental laugh. Poor fella. "However, with sex addicts, it's not always pleasure they are feeling. In fact, a lot of them have become numb. Sex isn't sex. It's a chore. It's… a must. They have to feed this inner demon of theirs, otherwise they'll go nuts. Not to say they don't feel the pleasure of overload, but it's different," he explained. "They have this self-loathing for themselves… Like, they need to be loved. They need to interface to have that satisfaction, to feel that they actually belong somewhere. Some 'bots gamble. Some 'bots drink. It's an addiction of pain and suffering, need and self-hatred… Not enjoyment."

The former commander was uncertain in what to say. He knew Megatron's addiction had lessened over the solar-cycles they had been together. It had been much worse when the mech was single and in war, using his troops as pleasure toys.  
"Do you think it would be possible for Megatron to ever… violate again?" he asked. He didn't like talking about these things, certainly behind Megatron's back. While he was in the house…

Looking up, Karmashock laid an arm on the back of his seat, his coat rustling. "It's always possible to fall back into a relapse, Shockwave. It just depends on the will of the mech or femme. Megatron's done an exasperating amount of negative things in his life—to him. I think his hatred for that helps him gain the strength to never fall back to that circle, though. But you know I can't make predictions like that off the bat. We're all different. Sometimes it only takes the smallest of things to make us snap back into our old ways."

Hearing the pede-steps come down the stairs, Shockwave cleared his throat and stood back up from his seat, the silver mech walking into the room.

"You're here," stated the former warlord, greeting his therapist with a nod. He was about to say something else, but he was stopped as there was a knock at the door. He glanced to his mate. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"No," stated Shockwave, though hearing the other voice through the door. He gave a worried glance.

"Megatron, open up! It's Prowl!"

Prowl? What the fuck was he doing here? There was another rough knock, and Megatron gave a groan. "Keep your fucking head on," he snapped, opening the door—the officer pushing his way through.

"I can't believe it! I knew you'd do it again!" snapped Prowl, his optics hard on the much taller mech. "It was only a matter of damn time, wasn't it? You just couldn't keep your hands off her! Well now you're in deep shit, aren't you?"

"What the hell are you talking about!?" snapped the older mech, Shockwave and Karmashock having moved into the main room.

Prowl shook his head in disbelief. "Don't play stupid with me. I finally have you this time. DNA proves it," he said, watching as Megatron simply stared at him in confusion and anger.

"Megatron… what is he talking about?" asked Shockwave, his voice worried now, his accent soft as he looked to his mate. His antennae fell backwards as concern rippled through his frame. DNA? He knew Megatron's was in the system, but… what for? Where had he found it? What was Prowl talking about!?

The officer gave a shake of the helm once more. "You've seen it in the paper and on the news. And we found your DNA at the scene," he said.

"Whoa-what!?" asked Karmashock, putting the pieces together. "You can't honestly be saying that Megatron was responsible for the rape and death of that femme! No way!" he said, looking to the older mech. "Come on, Megatron, stand up for yourself. You have an alibi, right!?"

Megatron's insides tensed—hard. He didn't. He had been working late. Alone. He had even clocked on with his card, so he was on the records, putting him at the spot of the crime. But he was innocent! He hadn't killed her! He hadn't even been in her sector! But… how did his DNA get there? He didn't understand!

At the silence, Shockwave felt his shoulders drop. "Megatron… Please don't tell me you-,"

"No!" yelled the older mech. "I didn't! I swear! I was just at work. I was working late… I never… I didn't even know her!" he said, looking to Prowl. "Get the hell out of my house!" he growled, grabbing the mech's arms, though stopping as a cuff was placed over his wrist. "What are you doing!?"

"You're under arrest, _Megatronus_," said the officer, tugging the other wrist close so he could cuff him properly.

"You can't be serious!" said Megatron, his fangs bared as he was called that name. "I didn't even know her! What, just because of my history you think it's fine to arrest me and charge me for something I haven't even done!?"

"Your _DNA_ was at the scene, Megatron!" barked Prowl. "Now shut up so I can read you your rights. Although I'm pretty sure you know them already." He pushed the larger mech out of the door.

Looking over his shoulder, Megatron's optics arched as he saw Shockwave's expression. "Please, Shockwave… I didn't do it," he said, though giving a grunt as he was forced down the hallway. "Alright, I'm coming!"

Running to the door, Karmashock's spark gripped tight. "Don't say anything, Megatron! Not until you get a lawyer! We'll come down for you, okay!" As the mech disappeared around the corner, he looked back to the violet mech.  
"Shockwave… he didn't do it," he said, although uncertain. How the hell did Megatron's DNA get there!? Had the mech actually relapsed and didn't know it? No, that couldn't happen. Megatron was stronger than that! He knew he had desires, but _fuck!_ This wasn't happening!

Shockwave didn't want to believe it. He couldn't. Megatron wouldn't betray him like that! With a femme! With… some worker that he didn't even know! His hands tightened for a moment. He didn't know what to believe. The DNA was solid evidence, putting him there. And what _kind_ of DNA!? Was it his oil? Was it his… seed? He shuddered mentally at the thought. What was he to do?  
Logic was telling him that Megatron had been there. At the scene, and could have very well done this. But his emotions were saying no. It wasn't possible. Megatron wouldn't do this.  
He was torn.


	2. Chapter 2

Part II

Being shoved into the small room, Megatron gave a growl. Fuck, he didn't have to be so damn rough! It wasn't like he was in the position to deck the mech anyway. He had cuffs on his wrists! Cuffs that made him feel uneasy and trapped. Especially being back in a tiny arse room like this one.  
The car ride had been quiet. Prowl hadn't said a single thing except for mutters here and there. Megatron didn't know _what_ to say. He couldn't fight his way out when they had somehow gotten his DNA. Primus, what the fuck was he going to do!? His record made him easily a suspect as it was, and that was without having his DNA.

Sitting down, Prowl slapped a small folder down onto the table. "Do you have anything to say?" he asked, his optics looking to the two vermillion ones across from him.

"Is 'fuck you' an option?" asked Megatron, giving the mech a hard look as he frowned before him.

"Typical," snorted the officer, opening the folder. "I'm guessing you want a lawyer, right?"

"No."

Prowl looked up, giving the mech a questioning gaze. Megatron, of all mechs, being in here, and not wanting a lawyer? Was he _proud_ of this!? Did he enjoy the fact that his oil had been found at a horrendous crime scene!?  
He placed his hands together onto the table. "Megatron, you do understand what is happening, don't you? You have the right to an attorney. I doubt it's going to help much, but at least if you cooperate, they might give you a deal."

What the fuck was this!? He wasn't guilty! He didn't need a fucking lawyer! "I understand completely. But I don't need some snot-nosed lawyer up my aft and getting into my personal life. You know I didn't do this," he said, looking to the mech as he moved uncomfortably from the glowing handcuffs.  
"Can I please get these off?" he asked rather politely, his frame beginning to get more tense than it was before. Primus, being back in this room? It wasn't the same, but it was close enough. He remembered Gammaray, sitting across from him. How he wanted to strangle him! See his blood shed across the fucking walls!

Watching the mech, Prowl was, admittedly, surprised at how polite the former warlord had sounded. "Megatron… your DNA was found at the scene. You can't get away from this. Being put in front of a jury? You know what happens. You've been there before, when you were a kid. The moment they hear about your history, you're a goner. So why don't you save yourself the hassle and admit to what you did. Start from the beginning."

"I did nothing!" snapped Megatron, his hands going tight against his thigh. "I don't even know the fucking femme! I only saw that she died this morning from the paper!" He gave a rough sigh, bringing his hands up so he could pinch the bridge of his nose. "Get these things the fuck off me!"

Prowl flinched a little as the mech's voice turned commanding. He frowned, watching him. His body was tense. Tight… Afraid? He didn't know. This wasn't exactly the Megatron he had once caught when down in the gladiator pits, though. He was much different. Back then, Megatron was proud of his actions. He'd even sit there and comment smart words to him, knowing he'd get out of there. This Megatron was genuinely worried about what could happen to him with such evidence.  
"Instead of commanding me around like you're still Decepticon Ruler, why don't you just tell me what happened from the start? She led you on, right? You had no choice? You just had to give her what she was asking for…"

Feeling his jaw go tight, Megatron's spark flared with frustration and anger, his breath going short. "No! Nothing happened!" he yelled, smacking his fist onto the table and breaking the handcuffs. He pulled his wrists free, Prowl instantly moving to him and drawing his weapon.  
He just relaxed against the back of the chair, feeling at least somewhat free. The room was still a pain, but he could handle that for a little while longer. After all, working in the mines had gotten him quite used to small spaces. It was just the handcuffs that were making him feel uncomfortable and trapped.  
He lifted his hands so the mech could see them. "I just wanted them off…" he murmured. "Nothing more."

"You also just broke free when you're a prisoner in this precinct," stated the officer, though lowering his weapon. Surely Megatron wouldn't do anything rash while he was in a police station. Everyone here had guns but him. He may be strong, but a few hundred bullets would stop him.

"So sue me for the damages," said Megatron, watching the former Autobot. He shook his head, giving a scoff. "You always wanted me here, didn't you, Prowl?" he asked, giving a frown. "If it were any other time, I would have laughed with pride. You know that as much as I do here. And yet, here I am… worried sick about what the fuck is going to happen to me for something I did not commit. You found my DNA, I understand that, however, that doesn't prove I was the one who raped and killed the poor femme. It just puts me in the same area as her. I didn't do it, Prowl…" he said, keeping his gaze.

As Prowl's shoulders relaxed for a moment, his tore his optics from the others. No, he couldn't believe a manipulative mech like Megatron. Just because he had gotten his life back together didn't mean shit! It could all just be a mask so he could still commit his crimes. Home mech, bonded, working. Yeah, right!? Once a rapist, always a fucking rapist!  
He growled, flipping the page over in the folder. "Bullshit you didn't do it! You like this! You left this poor femme to die after you viciously _raped_ her!" he said, shoving the page in front of Megatron's face.

Looking at the image, Megatron swallowed hard, every inch of his being going stiff. Oh, Primus… No, no he didn't do that! Okay, so he would have back in the day, but not now! And right now, he couldn't take his optics from the image of her splayed out body, covered in dark shades of oil as her legs were spread apart, showing every part of her insides.  
"Shit…" he whispered, his hands going tight as he grabbed at his thighs once more. "No… I didn't do that," he said, averting his optics, though remembering every perfect image of her torn apart and inviting pose. Oh shit, it was so fucking hot…!  
He swallowed hard as he felt a hot sensation boil in the lower part of his stomach, something tingling. The worst part? He felt the pain of his cable going erect within the casing. No, not now! That would make him seem even more guilty than before! But fuck! He couldn't stop it!

Watching the mech, Prowl gave a disgusted noise. "You're sick. Fucking sick!" he spat. "You think a grand jury is going to stand for this!? Innocent mech gets a hard-on over rape victim," he said, reading out as if it were a newspaper headline.

"No!" snapped Megatron, though highly ashamed of his reaction. "You're twisting everything!" he said, standing from his seat. He knew it looked bad! In fact, it looked fucking horrible. And yes, he was sick for finding it exciting, but that wasn't something he could help. It had been scarred into his fucking brain that it was exciting!

"There's no twisting your sick desires, Megatron! They're already twisted!" yelled the officer.

"You think I don't know that already!?" said the former Decepticon. "Do you think I don't feel sick to the stomach every time I realise I fantasise about horrible, fucked up shit like this!? You bastard! I live with it every damn solar-cycle! I suffer being disgusted in myself because of my desires. It's not something I enjoy, Prowl!" he yelled, giving a soft breath as he fell back into his seat, his frame shaking.  
Prowl was silent for a moment, and he welcomed it, his optics lowering. "I hate it…" he whispered. "Every sick fantasy… I just wish it was gone. I wish it would never haunt me again. But here I am… being blamed. And you know what? As much as I say I was not the one to rape that femme, you won't believe me. No one will. All because of my past… All because of…" He stopped, his hands going tight as he looked to the glowing cod-piece. "_Fuck!_"

Putting the folder down, Prowl gave a mental sigh. No, he wouldn't be tricked by this. Megatron was a master at deceit. He was a _Decepticon!_ Not just any, but the fucking _ruler!_. "You need a lawyer," he said, grabbing the pad back up and walking from the room.  
When he went outside, he was greeted with one of the femme officers there, her asking what had happened. "Nebula, this isn't your case. Go back and deal with the other forty open homicide cases we have. Plus, you're too close to the suspect."

"Close?" snorted the femme, quirking an optic ridge. Prowl didn't know she had actually slept with Megatron, but she figured considering she was a former Decepticon, he had a grudge against her, too. "I may have been a 'Con, Prowl, but I didn't become a cop for no reason. Whatever you think he's done, I know he didn't do it. He's not that stupid."  
She nudged past him, the mech giving a grunt and calling out her name. She didn't listen, though, she just opened the door to where Megatron was being held and stepped inside, watching as his optics looked up.  
"Shit, what the hell did he call you in for this time?" she asked, sitting across the table from him and placing her hands onto it, linking them together. Sure, she and Megatron didn't 'get along', but she wasn't about to let him get arrested for something he probably didn't do.

Megatron was surprised to even see the femme. "Rape and murder," he commented, giving a rough sigh and leaning back into his chair. "They found my DNA… I don't even know how…"

"Damn," said the femme, her optics looking at her hands. There was no way Megatron would do something as foolish as that. Not now. Now when he had a bond-mate to look after. "I'm not going to lie, Megatron, you have a bunch of enemies out there. It could have been anyone."

No shit. Megatron frowned, taking his optics from her. "You're just another one of them, Nebula. The thought that you hated the government so much and now work for them?" He shook his head. "You can't do anything to protect me. I'm going to go to prison if it's what Prowl wants."

Nebula gave a deep frown at that. "I become a cop so I could bust free 'bots like you out of here. Cybertron may not be perfect, but it's damn well better than it once was. I'm making sure it stays that way. Any corruption and I'll make sure the head of parliament knows about it."

"You mean that oaf Prime?" laughed Megatron. "It's been a dream to have me locked away for my crimes. Even Optimus Prime can't change the law. He just has a council to vote. Besides, I know talking to him would mean ruining your reputation as a former soldier."

"I don't give a shit about that," said the femme, folding her arms. "What's your alibi? Give me something I can at least work with."

"There's nothing!" snapped Megatron out of frustration. "I don't have an alibi. I have a key card that puts me in the mines at the time she was raped and murdered, and they don't have cameras in the shafts. Especially not the freshly made ones. Only in the common halls and walkways. You should know this, you've been down there."

Nebula shook he head, giving a rough breath. Damnit. Whoever did this, they were framing Megatron pretty well so far. Putting his DNA down there? Shit. He was in some serious trouble unless they could find something else. Unfortunately, she had a feeling that Prowl would kick her up the aft if he knew she was going to help the mech. If she was going to help him, she was going to have to be discreet.  
"I'll think of something," she said, standing back up. "Do you need anything? To call someone? A Lawyer? Some energon?" she asked.

Megatron shook his head. "No," he said. "You may go." He heard the door open and close after he said so, letting him back into the quiet room with his own thoughts. Primus, what the hell was he going to do? Surely they couldn't hold him. Not forever anyway. He knew how these things worked… Maybe a lawyer wasn't such a bad idea. He just didn't want his personal life coming out into the open once more. Not to mention his job was on the line. Fuck, if they knew about this? He'd be fired in no time.

*****  
Pushing the door open, Databyte walked into the cold room, the corpse uncovered from the other mech examining it. He'd brought down the other photos of the crime scene to match up against the body.  
"Her parents have said they want a funeral for her," he said bluntly, the other mech looking up from having putting the femme back together in one piece after the autopsy.

"Und?" said the German accent of Zydrate, his emerald optics looking to the navy blue and white Seeker across from him.

"So keep her clean. And your dirty servos away from her," snapped the hacker. Databyte wasn't just a hacker in the squad. He and Zydrate were also the morticians of the precinct. The squad was low on members, so they had multiple tasks to perform, but these two were the main morticians and medical examiners.  
As the door opened again, he looked to Prowl, the mech seeming to be in a sour mood. Then again, Prowl always was. He wasn't exactly the best of captains when it came to his job title. That and he had it out for every former Decepticon there was.

"Any news?" asked the captain, his voice sharp.

Zydrate lifted his head from the microscope he was looking in. "Nein. Just the oil zhat vas found in her valve," he said. "But, it ist interesting. Ich found zhat the oil ist not from overload."

Prowl stopped and looked at the coated mech. He admitted, he didn't like the two that worked here, and he never trusted them—considering they were former Decepticon. But they were hard workers and did their job well. However, this was different… They could simply take away the evidence that was against Megatron.  
"What kind of oil is it, then?" he asked, eyeing the two of them. Databyte took the file and looked at it.

"It's still Megatron's," said Databyte, looking at the unique code. "However, it's not overload fluids. It's… saliva and oil. All this suggests is that he… er… well."

"Licked her out," said Zydrate quite excitedly, though clearing his throat when Prowl gave him a sharp look.

"This doesn't say that Megatron raped her. It's not even mech fluid," stated Databyte quite cynically. "It simply says he was with her sexually. Not even violently. Somehow, and we most likely know how, his saliva and oil got into her vavle. Maybe she had bitten his lip beforehand? After all, we all know Megatron has an infatuation with oil."

Or maybe she had put up a fight? Prowl felt his jaw go tight for a moment, rubbing at his chin. Damnit… Still, he had him on adultery. This didn't mean Megatron was free to go. It just meant that they couldn't hold him for much longer. That meant he needed to be interrogated stronger. He wasn't off the hook just yet.  
"I see," he said, watching as the two of them glanced between one another. "And don't think I'm not watching you two. The body will be given away soon, so hurry up and see if you can find traces of anything else."

"Ja, sir," said Zydrate, putting on a tight salute before rolling his optics as Prowl walked out of the cold, still room. "Vhat a jerk."

"He's just paranoid we're protecting Megatron," said Databyte, putting the chart back down. "Still, I find no reason for Megatron to have done this. Even have a sexual encounter with her. From what we've heard, he doesn't even know the femme. Why take her and… perform such things with her? Especially when he's mated?"

Zydrate shrugged. "Megatron vas und alvays vill be a manipulative mech. Not saying he did it, but… DNA does not lie."

Databyte gave a soft hum for a reply. He would have to search more thoroughly through the photos and see if he could find a connection to the case and Megatron. "Continue searching. I'll be upstairs," he said, leaving the other mech down there alone. Not that he was alone. He gave a flat look as he heard the mech starting to talk to the body in the room with him as if it were still alive.

*****  
Sitting in the room with Karmashock by his side, Shockwave was nervous to what was going on. No one would tell him anything. Not even Prowl when he had walked through the room. It made him angry. Furious that this was happening… Why now? What had tripped the mech to do something like this? And that was even _if_ he had done it! No one could say for sure! And he didn't want to believe that he had, either.

"That's it…" said Karmashock, giving a huff as he stood up. "I'm getting him out of here."

Looking up, Shockwave stood as well. "You can't. You don't have that kind of power…" said the English accent.

"Wanna bet?" asked the motorbike. "I'm Megatron's therapist. I can twist anything the way I want. It's not safe for Megatron to be under this kind of pressure, Shockwave. With his background, they should know this, and they're not taking the precautions," he stated, moving to the desk that was up front.  
"Hell, the 'bots been comatosed before because of stress like this. As his therapist, it's my duty to be able to say what is right and wrong for him. And I'm making that stand now," he said. "Wait here, I'll be back in a moment."

Taking a step forward, Shockwave stopped, knowing he shouldn't follow. Instead, he watched as the younger mech was freely signed in due to his credentials and position to Megatron. He, on the other hand (bond-mate or not), had to take a seat once more.

As Karmashock burst through the door, he looked at the two mechs inside the room, Prowl sitting across from Megatron. "Come on, you're free to go," he said, tugging on Megatron's arm so he would move.

What? Karmashock couldn't do that! Prowl stood up. "No, he's about to be interrogated!" he snapped.

"No, you're holding him with no real evidence, and I'm his psychiatrist. That gives me the power to know what is best for this procedure, and I will not have my patient being put under unnecessary stress!" stated the Australian-accented mech. "Now come on, let's go."

Megatron stood, though he didn't say anything. He was more surprised at the fact that Karmashock could actually do something like this… Was it actually legal, or was he just making shit up?

"We have evidence putting Megatron with that femme! His saliva and oil was found inside the victim's port!" Prowl yelled in defence, making the other two stop and look at him. "Hm… That's what I thought."

Karmashock eyed Megatron for a moment, taking his hand off him. "That suggests nothing but a sexual encounter. Not rape and murder. So until you have the evidence of Megatron actually beating this femme to death, then you can kiss the court order goodbye," he snapped, pushing Megatron from the room. He heard Prowl slap something onto the table, but he continued walking out to the front—though stopping before they reached Shockwave.  
"Megatron," he said, looking up to the taller mech who seemed to be not in the right head space. "Did you have sex with that femme?" he asked. His voice was serious now. Stern. More stern than it ever had been with him.

What? No, of course he didn't! What, so he was going to believe this 'evidence' too!? "Karmashock, I didn't even _talk_ to the femme, let alone force my tongue in her valve!" he hissed in a whisper. "Look, I don't know how it got there, but it wasn't from me! Someone is setting me up. Framing me. Trying to get back at me for some reason… And they're doing a pretty damn good job at it."

Running a hand over his helm, Karmashock gave a light sigh, though relieved to hear the answer from his patient and friend. He didn't believe that Megatron had done this. However, he still could have if he had a relapse and just didn't remember it. He would session him tomorrow. For now, he knew Megatron needed to explain this to Shockwave. And Primus… he knew that wasn't going to be easy.

**Author's Comment:  
**

****Prowl's such a dick. However, you can understand why he's very edgy about it all. Plus, the evidence is there against Megatron. too. And, you get to know with the help of Databyte and Zydrate where it's come from and what it is. So... Megatron may NOT have raped the femme after all. But how'd his saliva/oil get in her port? 3

God, I love Karmashock... 3 He's so kick arse. XD


	3. Chapter 3

Part III

Shockwave was sitting at the kitchen table, his hands against it. He didn't know what to say. Megatron was begging him… actually _begging_ him to believe his words. But… there was evidence against him! How the fuck could his saliva and blood have made it inside that femme's port!? It was just… it didn't add up unless the mech had truly done this!  
He was silent, trying to take everything in. He didn't want to think Megatron was lying to him, but there was no denying that miniscule part of doubt that was in the back of everyone's mind. He trusted Megatron, but he also knew what relapses could do. Megatron's condition made him _forget_ if he blacked out. It's why he didn't always remember what he had done when his personalities had switched over. Now, that should have been fixed with the operation, but what if something has gone wrong?

"Shockwave… I-please," said Megatron, his optics arching. That look was uncertain. Like he couldn't believe what he was saying. He couldn't lose Shockwave! He was all he had in life. If he lost him, well then he may as well have fucking raped and murdered that femme!

"I'm sorry, Megatron…" said the soft, English accent of the former commander. "I just can't understand how your… saliva and oil got inside that femme." He didn't _not_ want to believe his mate. And it wasn't like he didn't believe him it was just… It was hard to explain.

Watching as Shockwave stood up, Megatron's lips parted. "No!" he said, his voice loud though holding a certain weakness to it. "Shockwave, please believe me! I didn't do anything with that femme! I didn't touch her! I-I certainly didn't… touch her with my fucking tongue!"  
He grabbed the mech's hand, falling to his knees. "Please believe me. I can't have you not believe me. Shockwave… You're all I have. You have to trust me when I say I didn't do any of the things I'm being accused of."

Shockwave's antennae fell back a little at the sight of the mech on his knees before him. "Oh, Megatron…" he whispered, shaking his helm. He should never bow to him. And the sight of such a thing should have proved to him that the mech was telling the truth. But that was only if he couldn't remember it. That didn't mean he hadn't done something with that femme—even though he wasn't accusing him of it.  
"Please don't get down on your knees for me," he said, his antennae falling back. He wasn't worth that. He wasn't worth such a warrior to bow down like this. Megatron was many things, but a begger? He certainly wasn't that.

"Shockwave," whispered the older mech. "I would crawl on my hands and knees for you. For you to believe me when I say that I didn't do those things. For you to show that you trust and love me. I would never bow to a false God, or a higher power. But for you? I'd do anything…" he said.  
His optics lowered, letting go of the lilac hand. It was no use. Evidence was against him. He could never blame Shockwave for thinking he had raped and murdered that femme. Look at what was being put in front of him. DNA. There was no denying that.

Watching his mate, Shockwave felt his spark tighten, seeing the sight before him. Not once had Megatron ever fallen to such a level with him. In their relationship, he was always headstrong and confident. Sure, he had done some bad things, but the Megatron he knew would never rape and/or murder again.  
Leaning down, he crouched, bringing his hand up to take the mech's sharp cheek structure. "I believe you," he said, his accent soft. He leant into the mech, his helm touching his mate's. "I believe you, Megatron."

With his spark feeling as if a million chains were lifted, Megatron leant heavily into his former soldier, his arms tightening around his frame. "Shockwave… You don't understand how much that means to me," he said into the mech's shoulder, planting a soft kiss onto his neck.  
He wasn't sure if Karmashock believed him or not, but that didn't matter. One 'bot did. And that was the only 'bot that mattered. And it was the only 'bot that would ever matter to him. Shockwave trusted him, and that meant the wold to him. He would never break or betray that. Ever.

*****  
Slapping the newspaper down, Shockwave gave a rough sigh. "Megatron, you had better come see this…" he said, his voice worried. The weekend had been hard on the both of them. Both were tired, and worn out from having to deal with such horrible accusations. He never thought this would happen, especially considering their records had been wiped clean from the system. However, everyone wanted an answer. That included them two as well.  
Hearing the pedes come into the kitchen, he picked up the paper and handed it to his mate before picking up his mug and taking in a sip of his warm, coffee-like energon. "You need to talk to Prowl."

Reading the article, Megatron's jaw went tight. At least he hadn't mentioned his name. That was at least something. The article read that there was a suspect in which was undergoing investigation—clearly him. It didn't give out too many details, except for the fact that the mech had been a former rapist and murderer of femmes.  
"Bastard…" he whispered, throwing the paper away from him and onto the counter. "At least my name wasn't mentioned." If it had been, his life that he had worked so hard on getting back would be completely destroyed.

"Well, that's because if he had, your life would be ruined, and a hundred lawyers would be suing him," stated the English accented mech, an antenna going back. He wasn't any more happy about this than Megatron was. In fact, it was a downright pain in the arse at how things were going.  
"I want you to talk to Karmashock today," he said, lifting his head to look at Megatron—the mech looking back at him with a questioning gaze.

"Why?" asked Megatron, his hands going to the back of the seat he was standing behind. It worried him that Shockwave was actually making him do this. Did he not believe what they had talked about previously?

Looking up, the former commander put his mug down. "Because I want you to be completely aware of what is happening here. Not to mention maintaining your stress levels, and the fact that something like this could trigger your addiction to both high-grade, as well as interfacing." His voice was a matter-of-fact.

"You don't believe I didn't do it, do you?" asked Megatron, giving a sarcastic laugh as he leant back up from the chair. "I can't believe this."

"That is not what I said," stated the violet mech. "I just want for you to be able to remember the whole night. Karmashock knows you better than I do when it comes to resurfacing your past. I think it would be wise to talk to him and tell him what you can remember the night of the murder."

"The ni-?" Megatron stopped, shaking his head. "I have to get to work," he mumbled, grabbing the keys to his ute. He stopped when he felt a hand take his wrist, making him turn around.  
"No! I'm not going to stand here and listen to you taking back what you said the other night!" he snapped, his fangs bared for a moment.

Shockwave tugged the mech closer, only to embrace him, the silver mech going quiet—most likely from confusion. "I believe you when you say you didn't do it, Megatron," he said into the mech's shoulder and neck. "But what about…? What about _him?_" he asked, speaking of the mech's other half that had been melded into his correct personality.

The former warlord's brow furrowed as he placed his hand against Shockwave's back. "I remember every detail, Shockwave. I didn't black out. I swear to you." Because he would never swear to Primus. "I swear I am telling the truth," he said, gently pulling out. "I went to work, I fixed up one of the pipe valves on the shields. That was it."

Both slick, ivory antennae fell back as Shockwave looked up. "Megatron, you have to understand how bad that sounds. You were alone, working on something that you didn't even _need_ to be working on. Hydraulics isn't even your field! You're a Continuous Miner. You mine! Nothing more. You are not a service engineer."

Megatron knew it sounded and looked bad, but he was telling the truth. Fuck, the only reason he had been there in the first place was because he and Shockwave had had an argument, so he stayed longer at work because he didn't want to go home and get in another argument. He knew it seemed even worse like that. Being angry? His condition? A femme alone in the mines!?  
The older mech gave a sigh, running his fingers against the front of his helm. "I know what I did and didn't do, but if it makes you feel any better… I'll talk to Karmashock after my shift," he said, leaning down to take his mate's cheek to plant a soft kiss on the top of his helm. "I'll see you tonight."

Watching as the former leader walked from the room, Shockwave's shoulders fell. He trusted Megatron. He knew he wouldn't lie to him, and he had proven that to him over the weekend. But if he had truly had a relapse, then he wouldn't remember a thing. Megatronus was the one who had done this (if it had been), not Megatron. He believed his mate one-hundred per-cent.  
"Be careful…" he murmured, his English accent soft, knowing the mech was already out the door and heading towards his work ute. He just hoped work wouldn't be too hard on him. If it were up to him, he would have made Megatron stay at home and away from that place. With the death of Utora, he knew things were going to be uneasy.

*****  
Maybe Shockwave was right. Maybe coming to work had been a bad idea after all. But he didn't want to stay home… Instead, he was faced with a hundred mechs and femmes he didn't even know, not to mention half of them didn't even work here, and there was yet again, another 'In Memory Of' bullshit ceremony happening.  
He gave a mental groan, pushing through the crowd. Fuck, this shouldn't even be allowed! There was a crime scene that had to be secured in the sector she had died in, so instead, everyone else was in the walkways where they were actually permitted to be—considering visitors weren't allowed near the equipment and down in the shafts.  
This was fucking ridiculous. How was he supposed to work like this!? And, yes, everyone else should have been working, too. Just because some fucking femme died down here didn't mean it was an excuse to get off work. No progress was getting done this way. It was just a downright waste of time. His time!  
"Hey," said a feminine voice, making him turn to the side as he saw Layce there. Great. Just what he needed, some pep talk about how emotional things were going to get down here. He just wanted to work!

"I didn't see you at the ceremony. Did you know her?" asked the femme, looking to the older mech as he seemed tired and worn out. Well, he wasn't sleeping easy, she could tell that much.

"No, I didn't know her. And why is everyone down here?" he snapped rather moodily. "This isn't safe for visitors or workers. Even if some femme did die."

Layce was taken aback for a moment. "Some femme? Megatron, she was a fellow miner! She was brutally raped and murdered!" she whispered, not wanting to gain unwanted attention. "Show a little respect for your fellow worker, huh?"

Her, too? What the fuck was the big deal!? He didn't even _know_ her! Why should his sympathy go to someone he didn't even know!? Why was everyone so cut up about it, anyway? So, yeah, a femme died. She was raped and murdered. Who fucking cared? Why should others care? The only ones that should care should be the ones who were her close friends and family. Everyone else didn't have reason to care! She was just another worker to them. Just like she was to him.  
"I don't have time for this," he said. "You can mourn over someone you hardly knew, or you can be the manager you are and direct these other 'bots the fuck out of here so we can actually get some work done."

"Well, well, there's a voice I certainly didn't miss hearing."

Megatron turned around, seeing Layce tense a little. His optics set on the smaller mech, his jaw going tight. Tulkah. "I thought you were kicked out of here, you worthless little machine," he said.

Tulkah gave a smirk. "Well, when I read the papers the other day, I figured it would only be right for me to come back and pay my respects to a fallen comrade. Although… you wouldn't know anything about honour, would you? I bet your black spark didn't even pulse when you had to lead someone to their death. Soldiers were just your pawns, right?"

With hands going tight, Megatron's optics burned as his fangs bared. "Why don't you get out of here before I beat you to death this time instead of letting you live like last time," he growled, Layce looking at him with confusion. It always surprised him that Tulkah had never pressed charges against him. However, he was probably piss scared of him. Not to mention with Karmashock on his side, he was almost untouchable.

Taking a step back, Tulkah knew his place when the mech was angry. That didn't mean this was the end of it, though. As long as he was alive, he'd make it a goal to piss the mech off as much as he could. And if he did end up dead, at least Megatron would be sitting behind bars.  
"Hm, whatever, faggot," he said with a grin, eyeing Layce and blowing her a kiss. "Have a nice time, babe. I'll see you later." He then walked away back into the crowd of others.

Layce's body shuddered for a moment, her skin crawling. She placed her hands against her arms, as if to protect herself from his words. "What did you mean by that?" she asked. "That you'd beat him to death?" She didn't know about the incident that happened between the two. In fact, she didn't know about any of the other crossings they'd had except for the time in the wash-racks and in the lunch hall.

"Nothing of your concern," said Megatron, grabbing his mining helmet and beginning to walk down to the shaft for his shift. He heard the femme follow him. He couldn't stop her. After all, this was where her sector was, too. She was his boss.

Tailing the larger mech, Layce was, admittedly, happy that it was so quiet down here. "Megatron, it's been a horrific thing to happen down here. Don't let Tulkah get to you. After all, he's just a visitor. He can't get in without permission," she said, all visitors having to wear a 'guest' tag around their necks. "Things will blow over soon. Besides, they have a suspect!"

Stopping in his tracks, Megatron went stiff for a moment, though relaxing and looking over his shoulder. "Do you have any idea to who may have done this?" he asked, wanting any piece of information that could clear his name.

Layce shook her head. "No, I wouldn't know where to start…" she said, giving a frown. "They've checked the logs. They did find a key card, but it was a skeleton. It looks like whoever manufactured it made it specifically so it couldn't be traced, but could open every door here."

Great. So the one thing that could have tracked someone around here was rigged? He gave a mental groan. "What about other details? Have they checked for fluids? Pede prints? Anything like that? What about the cameras?" he asked. Hell, how did she even know this? Prowl hadn't told him that a key card had been found…

"We checked the cameras. Whoever did it, the card turned them off, too. That poor femme was down in her sector when the lights went off. She would have had her torch, but that was it. Or her truck lights. She never saw him coming… "

Megatron frowned. Whoever it was, they'd done a damn good job in trapping her and taking her as their own. He felt he should congratulate them in a job well done considering he was once in their pedes. But he didn't. He'd never wish that upon anyone nowadays.  
"And what about the prints?" he asked.

Layce shook her head. "Everything was clear. She was in the sector, but not in the dirt and grit. He took her… He took her on the walkway. They've checked for any signs of prints, but they couldn't find anything. The only thing they found was some oil. Most of it was hers, but they found some inside her. Some that wasn't hers."

Swallowing hard, Megatron's optics looked away from the femme. "Right," he said.

Watching the mech, Layce gave a small sigh, approaching him. "Megatron, I know of your past. You and I both know what you've done. I know you were sick, and I know you'd never do it again. But… when I was in the logs, I saw you were here at the time of the… crime."

What!? She was going to blame him, too!? Before he could get a word out, she stopped him by lifting her hand.

"I don't believe you did it, Megatron. It's why I haven't said anything to anyone. You're a valuable worker, I know that. I also know you wouldn't jeopardise losing your job over something like this. After all, we both know that with your history, it wouldn't be easy for you to find another one."

Megatron didn't know what to say. He let his fingers relax against his mining helmet. "Thank you…" he said, though not revealing that it had been his DNA that the investigators had found. "It means more than you know."

Giving a smile, Layce's optics creased a little, watching him. "Go on, I'll let you work. I should clear some of these visitors out of here."

The mech watched as she walked away. Primus, what the hell was going to happen to him if they couldn't find another suspect? He was in some serious shit. Whoever was framing him was doing a brilliant job at making him look like the perpetrator. Sure, he liked violence, and he enjoyed the sight of a torn up femme, but he knew in his gut that he didn't do this. Megatron or Megatronus. He was innocent.

*****  
"Sir, you have a visitor," said the receptionist outside of Shockwave's office. A little surprised—unless it was Megatron—the violet mech took a moment to click down on the button before allowing the other 'bot in.  
The day had been… surprisingly quiet. He thought it would be more intense considering what had happened down in the mines. He could sense that there was a certain feel of paranoia around, though. Others were worried about going to places alone, especially down in the mines or into bathrooms. Like this mech was a serial rapist now, just lurking and waiting to jump out for his next victim.  
Admittedly, Shockwave wasn't all that worried. He would have been more worried if he were on the outposts, but considering he was here on Cybertron, he felt much safer. He did worry for Megatron, though. Not just because he was down in the mines (and secluded himself), but because he was worried something about his past would come up and out into the open. He'd lose his job if that were the case. Not to mention he'd probably be fired, too, considering he was his bond-mate and it would cause too many problems for the company.  
He tried to keep calm, though. There was no point in making a big deal out of this. He couldn't let others know something was bothering him. They'd ask. Not that it was any of their business. Still, he'd rather keep his personal and work life as separate as possible.  
As the door was pushed open, he looked up, antennae staying still as he simply looked at the mech. Why? Why was he here? Now? After all that had happened between them. He didn't understand.

"I told you he'd do it again," said Seven, folding his arms.

**Author's Comment:**

The first scene was... hard to write. I've said before that I DON'T like writing a more emotional Megatron, because I don't see him as a weak character. But when you look back at how much Megatron had actually loved in his life [like Char], you can tell that the loss of someone that he loves is actually a really heart-robbing thing for Megatron. He can't afford to lose Shockwave like he lost everyone else. It would probably be the end of him, to be honest :/

And look! The introduction of some familiar faces! Layce, Tulkah and Seven. Who woulda known these fellas would come back into it, hm? Only to stir up some more drama. 3


	4. Chapter 4

Part IV.

Shockwave looked to his old friend, unable to believe that he had come back just to say this. He had no proof! The papers didn't even mention Megatron! All it said was that the suspect was a former rapist of femmes! Yes, that was Megatron, but it was another hundred thousand mechs out there, too!  
"Get out," he said, standing from his seat, his voice being rather commanding now. Seven had _no_right to come in here and start this Megatron hate bullshit that he always did. It was pathetic how he couldn't get over their relationship!

Shaking his head, Seven gave a laugh. "And now you're stuck with a kid, right? Fuck, Shockwave. What did I tell you!? I told you he'd never change! That he'd hurt you! And then you'd get stuck with his kid, because he's too much of a monster to fucking care for either of you!"

At the mention of the sparkling, Shockwave's spark went tight. There wasn't a day that went by where he didn't think of their could-have-been sparkling. Seven didn't know that it had been a miscarriage. And now the bastard was throwing it around like no tomorrow.  
His antennae went down for a moment, making him sit down as a wave of anguish hit him. "There is no sparkling…" he murmured softly, his optic looking at the pads that were on his desk. "Now leave my office before I have you taken out by security."

No sparkling? What… did Megatron kill that, too? "What happened?" he asked, his voice going soft, though. This time, it held concern for Shockwave. He moved to the front of the desk, sitting down on the chair to face Shockwave.

"There was an accident, and… it was miscarried," said Shockwave, his voice almost a whisper. "The mech is in prison, though," he stated, looking back up as if to get off the subject. "Now, please, Seven… you can't be seen here. And you certainly can't be accusing Megatron of such crimes when you have no proof."

"Do I really need proof?" asked the shorter mech. "Shockwave… it happened in the mines. I'm not stupid. It doesn't take a bunch of cops to put it together. That mech raped that femme! Not to mention the suspect they have is someone's who's done it before. Come on…"  
He gave a sarcastic laugh. "Shockwave, honestly. I can tell you're questioning it as much as I am. You can't think he didn't do it. That mech is a monster! He was born a monster and he'll always _be_a monster!"

"Shut up!" bellowed the English-accented mech, approaching the shorter one. "Do you honestly think I am going to allow you to come here, intrude my office, and then do nothing but sit here and accuse my mate of something that you can't even prove he's done!?" he yelled, his antennae going back as his optic glowered.

Seven backed away a little, looking at the violet mech. Okay, he was stressed—that much he could tell. "Shockwave… I'm just being a friend to you. All those vorns of me abandoning you? I'm just trying to make up for it."

"By saying that my mate is nothing but a filthy rapist!?" snapped Shockwave, folding his arms and giving a scoff. "I hardly believe that's you trying to make things up to me. It sounds more like an attempt to break the both of us up so you can get your grubby little fingers into a relationship with me."

Seven's optics widened for a moment.

"Don't think I don't know what you are trying to do. You were always a manipulative little sparkling when we grew up, and you've gone south ever since," said Shockwave, walking to the door and opening it. "I may have had feelings for you when I was just a child, Seven, but now? My feelings for you are far from ever being romantic. Now get out before I throw you out myself."

He was serious? No, Seven wouldn't take this. He walked over to the door and closed it, putting a hand up as he saw Shockwave tense. "Look, man… you know me. You know it's not my damn intentions to do what you just said! Fuck, Shockwave, I have a boyfriend! Don't you remember Spike? You think I'm gunna fuck that up just to be with you? I _know_ I don't have a chance!" he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't _want_ a chance! I just wanted to be a friend to you! I want to look out for you, like when we were kids. You never let me down, Shockwave… But ever since you've been with Megatron?"  
Seven shook his head, giving a sigh. "You've changed, Shockwave. So much. You used to be fun. Yeah, you've always been a little high strung, but damn, not like this! Look at what this mech is turning you into! Nothing but a fucking droid! A soldier who takes orders! _His orders!_"  
As something hard hit him, Seven was knocked back into the wall, stumbling to catch his feet. He… he slapped him! No. He backhanded him! He looked up, his optics arching as he saw the much broader mech.

"You take that back," hissed Shockwave, his accent going dark.

Seven was, admittedly, shocked from it. First a gun to the back of his head, and now the mech actually backhanding him!? He rubbed his cheek, standing back up. "That? That right there is what I'm talking about! How am I supposed to repay you when you won't even let me? And now you've sunken to the level of hitting me, as if I'm just some filthy subject in an interrogation room."

The former commander's antennae fell back dangerously. "If you were in an interrogation room, Seven…? Believe me, you'd be dead," he said warningly. "Now get out of my office before I show you what an interrogation can be like."

The smaller mech's lips parted, his optics questioning what had happened to his friend during the war. He'd turned so cold. So dangerous. Yes, he found that a little exciting in Shockwave, but this was going too far. He clearly has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or something. Because that once, patient, charming and loving mech? He was far too deep inside the monster of a war machine that Shockwave had become.  
Swallowing lightly, Seven's optics dropped. "I just wanted to help you, Shockwave. I don't like what you've become, and I doubt you like what you've become, either," he said, seeing the mech's armour going tight as he said so. He simply shook his head, though, walking to the door and opening it.  
"If you decide that you finally want to be the old you, I'll be waiting at my apartment. Living like this is only going to disappoint you. Not to mention get you killed. I just hope you know what is best for you, because Megatron doesn't," he said, walking out of the room and closing the door behind him.

As the door gently closed, Shockwave's antennae fell back as he watched where Seven had walked away. His optic lowered as he thought about what he had said. Was he right? Had he changed that much from war? Did others see him as nothing but a monster? No, it wasn't true. Him changing wasn't Megatron's fault. War had changed everyone. It was up to him to stay the same. But he had grown up. And he had grown up as a soldier.  
Giving a rough sigh, he sat back into his seat and placed his hands onto the table. He felt guilty for having hit the mech, but something had made him snap. Seven needed to be put in his place. It was that simple. But it wasn't right to hit him, and he knew that. Maybe Seven was right in the fact that he had changed and become more violent. He only ever used it when it was necessary in war, but that didn't mean he had the right to let it carry over in a regular life.  
Shaking his helm, he pushed it aside. He would not let his personal life get in the way of his work. He would finish his shift, and then he would think about talking to Seven another time. Just not today.

*****  
"So, why don't you go through the whole night with me?" asked Karmashock, holding his signature data-pad against his thigh as he was seated back in his chair, an ankle over his knee. He and Megatron were seated in his apartment. It was much cleaner now, and looked more like an office rather than a house. Well, the lounge-room anyway. The apartment was actually too small to have a separate office.

Leaning back in his chair, Megatron gave a sigh. Work had been hell on him, but he'd gone through it without too many run-ins by other 'bots asking him about the femme's death. At least that was something.  
"You already know what time I left and why," he said, having told Karmashock where he was the night of the crime and why he had left to go to work in the first place. "When I got there, I had to sign in, and do all the usual shit. So I was eligible for over time credits," he explained. "As expected, I was the only mech in the sector. I took a look at some of the reports, and so I headed down to fix the pipe valve. That's what I did… When I was done, I left."

Nodding, Karmashock adjusted his coat a little. "When you were down there, did you experience any kind of nausea or dizziness? Any dizzy spells or loss of loss of footing?"

"No. I told you before, Karmashock, I did _not_ have a relapse!" snapped the older mech, running a hand down his face. For the last fucking time, he remembered the entire boring arse night! It was cold, lonely and hard work. He would have remembered something as exciting as raping some femme!  
"Look… I know you're just doing your job, and you want to get down to the bottom of this, but fuck! I did not rape that femme! And I certainly didn't murder her. I was in my sector the whole damn time! I remember every agonising and boring astro-second! If I raped that femme, it would have been the fucking _highlight_of my night! It's better than running my fingers through a pipe valve!"

Karmashock looked to the mech, knowing he was stressed—certainly when he put it that way. He knew Megatron liked violation when it came to femmes, and that he still very much enjoyed the fantasy or raping. That was something that would always be in his sexual fantasies.  
"Okay," he said, his Australian accent soft in the still room. "I'm just going to run a small exam on you, if that's alright?"

"Exam? What do you mean?" asked Megatron, watching as the coated mech stood up and grabbed some instruments. What the fuck was this!? "You still don't believe me!?" This was fucking ridiculous! Why was everyone pinning him!? Why wouldn't anyone listen to his pleading voice!?

Turning back around, Karmashock gave a friendly smile. "Mate, it's alright, I believe you didn't do it, okay?" he said, watching as the mech relaxed in the seat a little from his tight position. His slate optics held the vermillion ones, knowing he was confused.  
"Look, this is just going to test if your body is functioning correctly, okay? If you really didn't pass out or lose consciousness, this little baby will tell me right here. It's just a few simple medical tests. Checking your spark-rate and all that shit, alright?"

But why? How would that prove anything? "My spark doesn't pulse irregularly when my personalities change, Karmashock. Besides, they _don't_ anymore. I had an operation to _fix_that," he said, as if it were obvious.

"You know as much as I do that your brain can still get the better of you," said the Australian-accented mech. "Here," he said, placing the small instrument to Megatron's chest. "It's just gunna check for any irregularities. If not, then that's great!"

Megatron didn't have much of a choice. If he wanted the therapist to believe him, then he was going to have to take whatever tests he needed. He moved back, allowing the mech to place the instrument against the middle of his chest.  
"Where did you learn this, anyway? You're a therapist, not a medic," he said, eyeing the younger 'bot as he gave a light laugh.

Watching the metre on the box, Karmashock moved the instrument around the mech's chest. "I learnt this through some of my training. Just some basics. It wasn't compulsory, but I figured it might help down the track."  
Moving the instrument away, he gave another grin, putting it aside. "Looks like you're healthy as ever. A little nervous and stressed, but I can't blame you for that," he said, watching Megatron give a scoff.  
Taking a small light, he lifted it up to Megatron's optics. "Now, just look at this. I'm gunna check if you have dilation or not. If you've been unconscious, it will have a slow reaction or none at all."

Looking at the light, the former warlord found it hard not to look away as it lit into his optic sensors. He gave a pained breathe when it was done, allowing his optics to adjust to the room light once more. "Well?"

Putting the small light down, Karmashock shook his head. "Looks like you're perfectly fine to me," he said, giving a smirk as he pushed himself away from the mech and placed the small box of instruments back onto the coffee table.

A relieved sigh came from the silver mech. "Good. Now do you believe me?"

"Megatron, I always believed you," said the therapist. "I just wanted to make sure I could prove this to Prowl next time I see him. Plus, with your condition, I wanted to be one-hundred per-cent certain that you didn't have a relapse."

"And?"

Karmashock shrugged his shoulders. "Well, from my professional view, I'd say you didn't. It just rings the question in how the hell your oil got into that femme's body. Was she a past encounter? Did she have a grudge against you or something?"

"No," said Megatron, shaking his head. "I hardly knew her. I wouldn't even know where to begin with how my DNA got inside her. Especially her valve, of all places… I thought the police and forensic investigators would have had better knowledge on this."

"Well, to be fair, they did separate the fact that it was saliva and oil, not transfluids," stated the coated mech as he sat back down in his seat and pushed his data-pad aside. He watched as Megatron's optics gazed away. He hadn't the slightest clue. None of them did.  
"How is Shockwave handling this, by the way?" Surely this was just as stressful to him as Megatron. Primus knew he worried so much about his mate.

Megatron looked back to his therapist, giving a frown. "I guess just like anyone in this situation would. Conflicted," he said, leaning back in his chair. "He said he believes me, but to be honest, he's the reason I'm here tonight. He wants to believe me, and I can tell that in him, but there's always that paranoia. I know if I were in his pedes, I'd be the same—if not worse." He certainly didn't blame him. However, this news from Karmashock would hopefully make things better.

Nodding, Karmashock knew it couldn't be helped. Not with a mind like Shockwave's, who was probably trying to think of a thousand different possibilities to how Megatron's DNA got inside that femme.  
"Well, hopefully Prowl and his detectives will be able to find something soon, ey? I know Shockwave doesn't not wanna believe you. I mean, it's Shockwave. He, like… worships you," he said, giving a light laugh, though going serious once more. "You know he loves you no matter what. And hopefully soon enough he'll know completely that you're innocent."

A soft sigh came from the silver mech's throat, though he nodded. "Yes," he said, standing up from his seat. "Speaking of, I should be heading home. It's already quite late, and I should be getting cleaned up," he said, still having quite a bit of mining material on him.

"Yeah, and I gotta clean my couch now," said Karmashock, giving a goofy grin as Megatron apologised. "It's all good, mate. Just get home and try to rest easy, ey? I'll catch ya later!"

As Megatron reached the door, he turned for a moment. "I may not be the best mech to talk to, Karmashock, but if you need someone to talk to about that femme who fucked you over. Well, you know my number."

Karmashock gave a small smile, though shook his head. "I'll see you later," he said, Megatron walking from his apartment. He knew things had ended roughly, but the femme had broken the rules, and he couldn't have that. It was just too unprofessional. And he was glad it was no longer happening beneath his roof.

*****  
"He what!?" asked Megatron, giving a growl as Shockwave told him what had happened with Seven in his office today. That little fucking rat! He had no damn right to go anywhere _near_Shockwave anymore! That bastard fucker was just trying to do it all over again! And now this time, he had fuel for the fire.

Shockwave placed a hand up. "It's not as bad as you think, Megatron," he said, his voice soft. "He said he was simply trying to be a friend. That he understands I am taken and no longer wishes to pursue me, as he has his own mech friend."

Megatron shook his head. He didn't believe a word of it. He knew what Seven was like from their last encounter. That mech was nothing but a twisted little shit who was trying to get his hands on his mate by breaking them up at any costs. And to bring up the sparkling? What a fucking joke! How _dare_ that mech go in there and bring that up!? Come to think of it, it wasn't that far fetched that the mech was the one who was framing him…  
"Are you alright?" he asked, lifting his hand to his lover's cheek. "He didn't cause any harm, did he?" Because if he did, he would march right down to that apartment and fuck that mech up. Fuck him up real good.

"I'm fine, Megatron," said the former commander. "I was the one who became physical," he said, seeing Megatron give him a confused look. "I hit him, Megatron. I was just… so angry. I backhanded him, as if he were nothing but a common traitor back in war." His voice held no pride.

The former warlord would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy hearing that Shockwave had put him back in his place. However, something in Shockwave was telling him different. He felt guilty? Why? Seven deserved _more_ than just a backhand to the face! He deserved to be beaten to pulp!  
"Well, he deserved it," he said quite bluntly. "He pushed you, especially with brining up our sparkling. It's none of his business, and he has no right to pester you in the work place—let alone in your own office."

Shockwave stayed silent, though gave a light nod. He still worried that he had changed, and that the war had made him more violent than he used to be. He couldn't blame himself on that, though—it was how he had been trained. And he had been trained by the best. Megatron was an idol. The way he spoke. The way he fought. His passion for the fight. Everything.  
"Do you think I've changed for the worst?" he asked, looking back up to his lover, Megatron's optics arching as he watched him. Megatron had achieved so much after war. But him? He seemed to be going backwards from the mech he once was.

"Shockwave, you are perfect the way you are," said Megatron, giving a light smile as he ran his thumb against the violet cheek. "We all have our moments of becoming violent. One slip up isn't going to kill you, nor will it determine that you're a bad mech. You are and always have been a polite, well-spoken, patient and wonderful mech. I mean that from the bottom of my spark," he stated honestly, leaning in to give his mate a soft kiss.

Leaning into Megatron, Shockwave's antennae laid back gently, his hands going against Megatron's chest as he felt the mech kiss him. However, he wasn't ready to go further, and as he felt Megatron's hands go against him for more, he pushed his hands gently against his chest, stopping the older 'bot.

"Is something wrong?" asked Megatron, frowning as he felt the mech fight against him. They hadn't made love in quite some time, and now he was beginning to get quite frustrated over it. He was an addict, after all. He knew the timing wasn't the best, but he figured the both of them deserved some intimacy. Not just sex. Intimacy.

Lowering his optic, Shockwave shook his helm. "I… I just can't right now," he said, his antennae going back in almost shame. He couldn't lay with Megatron with that tiny part of doubt in his mind. If the mech had truly done something like rape that femme and murder her? He didn't know… He just couldn't at this moment.

Letting his hands fall from his mate's body, Megatron felt disappointment flow through his systems. Not just because he wanted his lover, but because he said he couldn't right now. Why? Had he done something for Shockwave to not want him? Was Shockwave alright? Was this because of Seven?  
"Talk to me," he said, watching the mech as he looked back at him. "Is this because…" He stopped, as if trying to read the mech. "Utora? You…?"

"It's not that I think you're guilty, Megatron," said Shockwave. "Believe me when I say that. It's just… I can't while everything is so unclear. I need time. I just…" He stopped, knowing what he was saying wasn't settling well with the older mech.

He couldn't believe this! Even after Karmashock had said he showed no signs of a relapse? It was the DNA, wasn't it? It was still eating at Shockwave as to how it got there. Well it was damn well eating at him, too! He was the fucking victim here!  
Megatron nodded, taking a step back. "Alright…" he said, his voice soft as he grabbed his keys.

"W-what are you doing?" asked the violet mech.

"I'm going for a drive," said Megatron, ignoring the concern in his bond-mate's voice. "Don't wait up for me."

Shockwave took a step forward, but the door was closed too quickly. "I'm sorry…" he whispered, his antennae going flat as his shoulders dropped. He didn't mean to hurt Megatron. He would never mean to hurt him. Times were just confusing, and he wanted everything to be one-hundred per-cent clear before he was romantic with the mech. He was beginning to regret that now.

*****  
Sitting in the car, Megatron watched as the 'bots walked in and out of the complex. He frowned, unable to think of what to do. He knew he didn't do what was being blamed on him, but part of him was questioning if that part of Shockwave's doubt was right. Fuck, his mate couldn't even believe him completely. What made him so sure that he didn't do it in the end? His gut? Hell, he was sure his gut had been wrong a thousand times before when he was a kid, and look at what kind of trouble that had brought him.  
He tried to remember what had happened that night—if he had missed any details. He was sure he wasn't, but maybe that could just be his other half trying to push it back. It had done it before, hadn't it? Fuck, so much of his life had been controlled by that sick fuck, it was impossible for him to ever go away. If he had truly done what others were thinking he had, then there was one thing for sure that he knew. He'd do it again.  
Turning the keys, he pulled them out and stepped out of the ute, locking it before he headed up the stairs and into the complex. He didn't stop when asked to; instead, he pushed his way through the room until he found the mech he was looking for.  
Lifting his hands, he gave the mech his keys and looked to the Datsun. "Arrest me," he said, his voice completely serious as he nudged his hands towards the officer. If he was guilty, then he would rather serve his time for Shockwave than sit back and live a lie.

With optics widening, Prowl simply stared at the much larger mech. Was this a joke?

**Author's Comment:**

I love cliffhangers. :) You probably all hate me right now, but...

Anyway, for those who wanted to see Shockwave put Seven back in his place, I hope that was partly satisfying-even though the mech is feeling rather guilty about what he's done/more so the fact that Seven could be right about how he's changed.

I'm dying to write some more Zydrate and Data, so hopefully they'll be in the next chapter a little bit.

As for Megatron. Shockwave's rejection went pretty hard on the mech. He's also starting to doubt himself in thinking it wasn't him. He knows his darker side, and he knows what it's capable of. If it wants to shut him out, it will, and that means not knowing if he's done something bad or not. He does know that if it' happened, it won't be the last time it'll happen


	5. Chapter 5

Part V

"You know he's innocent," said Nebula, folding her arms as she looked at Prowl. The mech had led Megatron into one of the small holding rooms. He wasn't being interrogated—yet—but she knew Megatron wouldn't just hand himself in like this without a reason. What had changed his mind!? What had made him _hand_ himself in!? What the hell had happened today!?

Prowl put his hand up. "Look, if you want to go in there and talk to him, you can. I'm going to get Zydrate and Databyte to examine him for wounds. Get this all sorted out. I'm tired of pissing around and getting nothing done. If you want to make him feel more comfortable, then fine. But don't try and make him do anything he doesn't want to do. He confessed. We've got him no matter what you say to him. You can't make him take that back." He made that clear.

Yeah, yeah, she got it. She was a cop. She had to do her job. She'd do that, but she'd still ask Megatron why the fuck he was doing this.  
"Fine, whatever you say," she said, waving her hand as the captain of the squad walked in the direction of the labs. She headed over to the small room, picking up an energon cube before pushing the door open and stepping inside.

Looking up, Megatron watched as the femme slid the cube over the table towards him. "You already have my DNA…" he said, eyeing it as Nebula sat down across from him. Of course, he didn't trust anyone in the police. Even if they were former Decepticons.

"It's to drink, you idiot," she said with a smirk. "It's nothing great, being office energon, but you get used to it when you've been in the force for a while." She watched as he took a sip and gave a dissatisfied look. "Told you."

Megatron put the cube back down. "Why are you here? I've already told Prowl why I'm handing myself in."

The femme folded her arms, giving him a flat look. "Like Prowl ever tells us anything. Does anyone even know that you're doing this? What about Shockwave, and Karmashock?" Yes, she knew Karmashock and Megatron were close. After all, he was a friend to all of his patients.

The former warlord folded his arms as he leant back in his seat. "They don't need to know…" he murmured, his optics looking away. Besides, Shockwave wanted this, right? To know the truth? He was willing to do anything Prowl asked him to get to that. Lie detectors, more DNA samples—anything. "They'll know when they need to."

"They don't need to know?" asked Nebula, her ruby optics arching. "What the hell happened to you!?" she said, standing up from her seat. "You know you didn't do this. You were certain the moment you came in here. I know you, and even I know you didn't do this, so why are you taking the blame now!? What have you got to prove!?"

"I am a rapist and a murderer!" snapped Megatron, standing from his seat as his fangs bared. "You are damn well lucky that you're still alive, femme! Don't start questioning my intentions now! If I want to come in here and take the blame, then I will! You can't stop me!"

"Well the law can!" yelled back the femme, the both of them locking optics. "I know you didn't do this. I'd bet my life on it. If you wanna waste yours and go to prison, then fine by me. But I'm doing _my job_, and that means getting down to the bottom of this."

Megatron gave a sneer, sitting back down. "Do whatever you please, femme," he said, pushing the cube away from him. He didn't want to talk to her. He'd rather talk to Prowl—and that was saying something.

A frustrated growl came from the back of Nebula's throat. Primus, he was such a dick! She was just trying to help! "Whatever," she mumbled. "Enjoy your stay, you know Prowl's going to make it Hell for you."

Hearing the door slam, Megatron's jaw went tight, his hands leaning against the table. She was right, though. He knew that Prowl was going to make this a living Hell on him. He had finally caught him. Well, he had actually handed himself in, so he still had that over Prowl, but he knew the mech was not willing to let him go now that he had him in his hands.  
He just wanted to know how and why his DNA had gotten there. Part of him was beginning to doubt it wasn't him. His darker half would always be with him, and he would always have slips here and now. If it really was him, they'd know soon enough if it happened again. Once his other half had a taste, it was like an addiction. One that _must_ be fed.

*****  
Zydrate's optics widened for a moment. "He handed himself in!?" he asked, covering the body that was laid out in front of him and on one of the examination tables. "But… vhy?"

Why? Was he kidding him? Prowl looked at the mortician and crime-scene photographer. "Because he knows he's guilty," he said bluntly. "We've got his DNA, we've got a confession. By tomorrow morning, Megatron, the great ruler of the Decepticons, will be in prison."

Databyte glanced at Zydrate, the mech clearly uneasy. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Prowl, but we still don't have solid evidence that this was Megatron's doing. Indeed, Megatron has handed himself in, but his confession isn't a solid confession. It's simply a 'what if'," he stated, sensing the former Autobot tense.

"He's confessed, Databyte, and that's all we need to at least hold him and find more evidence," snapped Prowl. "Now, I want you two to go up there and match these," he said, slapping the photos of the bruises against the femme's body into Zydrate's glove-like hand. "Make casts from her body, do whatever you can to link these two together. That's an order."

Looking at the photos, Zydrate looked back up as Prowl walked from the cold room. "He's serious about zhis…" he said in his German accent. "Vhat do du suppose we do?" he asked, turning to Databyte.

Folding his arms, the thin mech gave a shrug. "We follow his orders. We examine Megatron," he said, looking over to the spiked motorbike as if it were obvious.

Zydrate gave a smirk, biting down on his pierced lip. "Ist zhat vhat du called it when you zwei rocked the boat?" he asked, his teeth showing as he laughed.

Databyte's frame went tight, his hands clenching hard, his violet optics going dark. He grabbed Zydrate by the throat and pushed him against the wall. "That! That… was a mistake," he mumbled, pushing himself away from the mech and brushing himself down calmly like it never happened. "Get back to work."

Tending to his throat, Zydrate grumbled to himself, Databyte calmly walking from the room. "Ja, ja," he murmured, standing back up and grabbing the photos. He'd have to test the bruised marks against her body and see if the pressure was something close to Megatron's previous victims.

*****  
Sliding the folder across small table, Prowl sat back in his chair. There was something in his gut that wasn't settling right. Megatron wouldn't just hand himself in. He knew he shouldn't be questioning why the mech had—he should simply be happy that he finally had him. But something was saying otherwise. Fuck, he was supposed to be ecstatic at this news! Then why wasn't he?

"What is this?" asked the silver mech, not touching the file and simply eyeing it.

"Open it."

Looking down, Megatron lifted his left hand, pulling the file towards him and opening the manila folder. He swallowed hard, looking away from it. It was his first kill. The prostitution femme. He'd always remember her, as if it were yesterday that he forced her body against the wall and fucked her senseless before strangling and killing her.

Sitting forward, the officer pulled out a box that was on the floor, slamming it onto the table. "These are the rest of them. Each and every one that we could find, but couldn't place a killer to. They all have the same M.O. Dark in colour, usually strangled or stabbed to death. Mutilation to the valve and other parts of the body. A representation of someone you clearly hated and wanted to destroy."

Primus, that was a big box. Megatron didn't know what to say. He just tapped his fingers against the steel table, his optics looking to the files inside the box. Guaranteed he had done half of the murders in there, but he knew not all of them were his. He wouldn't know unless he looked through them, though. And even then, sometimes victims could fade away.

Prowl placed his arms against the table. "When was the first time she touched you?" he asked, Megatron's fingers going still as he looked at him. He held the vermillion optics, something in them that he couldn't quite make out.

What did it matter? If he had killed again, surely the fact that he had been molested was no longer a get-out-of-gaol free card. Prowl was just being a prick and trying to get him to confess more. Say that that femme fucking deserved to be raped and murdered because she was similar to his previous victims. He could only tell him the truth, and the truth was that he wasn't certain he did or didn't do it.

"Well?" asked the Datsun. "You know, I'm getting a little tired of your excuses to commit such heinous acts on innocent lives. First off, I could maybe understand why you'd be driven insane by what your mother did to you. But stellar-cycles later, Megatron? When you're meant to be leading a normal life? Hell, you're nearing the later years of your life, don't you think it's time to let go? She's dead anyway."

Let go!? He'd tried to fucking let go his entire life! It wasn't as fucking easy as saying it didn't happen or just getting over the fact that your mother fucking _molested_ you until the age of sixteen! That was sixteen stellar-cycles of his life he could _never_ get back! Not to mention those vorns were the vorns where he was mentally growing up and would decide who and what he would become later on in life!  
"You don't talk to many victims of sexual abuse, do you?" he questioned, looking back to the mech. "I understand you can't see me as a victim. After all, I was the one who was raping and killing, wasn't I?"

"Was?" asked Prowl, quirking an optic ridge. "You still are! After what you did to save Cybertron? I can't believe this is who others looked up to at one point in time. Nothing but a filthy rapist. And you would have made Cybertron better, huh? Yeah, right. With eliminating all the femmes that you hated? Just because they resembled a whore of a mother."

Megatron's jaw went tight, his hands clenching. "Don't you call her that," he sneered. Yes, his mother was nothing but a whore. He hated her to the pits of his being, but she was still his mother. He would always wish for the approval that he had never gotten from her—even if she had destroyed his chance of a normal life and had endlessly molested him. He hated her, but part of him would always want her praise.

Watching the older mech, Prowl folded his arms, giving a shrug. "What? You can call every other innocent femme out there a whore, but when it's your mother, you can't accept it?" he asked. He smiled; knowing the best way to get Megatron to confess was by showing how much he hated femmes, too.  
"Let me guess? She deserved it, right? They all do. She tempted you," he said. "The way she strutted around the mines like your mother had. She was just like her. A whore. A whore that needed to be put back into her place. You just had to be the one to do it, too. After all, no one else is as good, right?"

With optics lowing, Megatron smirked a little. He'd be lying if he said the idea of raping and killing that femme didn't excite him. Actually, the mere thought was making his oil rush down to the head of his cable, making it stand beneath the casing.  
"Now you're seeing things the right way," he said, his voice dark as his hands loosened a little. "Every one of those bitches deserved to be torn apart for what they did to me. Tempting me, making me want them so much." He leaned his neck back as he gave a heated breath. "You don't know what it's like, Prowl… To have that kind of control and power. Make them scream in your hands. Primus, they were all so scared—just like I had been when she touched me every _fucking_ night!"  
Swallowing hard, he looked back down, looking at the black and white officer. "Hm, if you were a femme… Well, I think you can guess where I'm going," he said, giving a dark grin as he leant his cheek in his palm. "Such a pity. I could have rocked your world."

Giving a disgusted look, Prowl averted his optics from the mech. He couldn't look into those optics. Not when he was looking at him like he was just a piece of meat to fuck. "You're a sick mech. Do you know that?"

"Oh, I'm very sick," said Megatron. "Why do you think I handed myself in? Which, by the way, was my doing—even if you try and say otherwise. I'll still have that over you, Prowl. I always will. Even if I'm not guilty."

Prowl growled a little, his hands going tight. "I still have you in my palms, _Megatronus_. No matter what you say or do, if you're guilty of this, then I will be nothing but satisfied when I close those bars in front of you. Your little therapist won't be able to help you then."

Megatron laughed, his fangs showing. "Do you think I want help?" he asked, looking at the officer as he watched him back. "Why do you think I came here? Honestly." He stood up, leaning his palms onto the table. "It wasn't for you. It wasn't even for me. It certainly wasn't for Karmashock, either. I did it for the only mech who I care for on this pathetic excuse of a planet. If I truly did do what I'm in here for, then I deserve to rot in prison. But don't think I'd ever do it for you, Prowl. If I had it my way, I'd have killed you long ago, you snide, little shit."

The former Autobot's optics narrowed for a moment, watching the mech closely. That determined voice was the Megatron he knew and hated. Still, him handing himself in just seemed so out of character. For Shockwave? Hell, Megatron wouldn't do shit for anyone else back in the day. Did Shockwave's opinion mean that much to him?  
He stood up, leaving the files on the table. "Zydrate and Databyte will be up here to examine you—thoroughly," he said, his voice dark as he walked past the mech and out of the door. Once he closed it, he walked into the other room and watched as the mech sat back down through the two-way mirror.

"Hm," huffed the silver mech, sitting back down as he pulled the file towards him. He opened it once more and looked at the corpse of the prostitution femme in front of him. "Such a shame…" he whispered, running his fingers down the photo. "And all because of you, I'm where I am today. Hell, I should be thanking you," he smirked. "Slut." He slammed the folder closed and pushed the file away from him. Damnit, now he really was in dire need of a good fuck.

*****  
Hearing pede-steps near the door, Shockwave's antennae perked up. Finally, he was home. He was worried about his mate, and it was beginning to get rather late. Primus, it was almost midnight. Even if the mech was royally pissed off, he usually wouldn't stay out past midnight.  
He stood from his seat, ready to see his lover walk through the door. However, he was surprised when he heard a knock. He opened the door, greeted with the femme officer. Oh, Primus… what had happened!?

"Can I come in?" asked Nebula, Shockwave pulling the door in and allowing her to step inside. She knew she and Shockwave weren't on good terms, and they never would be. However, she was a police officer, and she was on duty. The both of them would hold a respectful relationship.

"Is something wrong?" asked Shockwave, closing the door as she walked in. "Have you found the murderer?" His voice wasn't desperate, but it wasn't calm, either. He just wanted to know the truth! He wanted all of this to finally be over. He wanted Megatron home!

Nebula removed her hat, holding it in front of her and against her lower belly. "Shockwave… Megatron handed himself in," she said, her voice soft and almost apologetic as she said it. Fuck, she hated the fact that she had to be saying this, and that Megatron was being a stubborn prick of a mech, but she knew he didn't do it. She was sure Shockwave did, too. She wanted to prove to Prowl that he was wrong in thinking the former leader was guilty of such a stupid thing. Not when he was getting his life back together…

What!? "He… He…?" Shockwave's antennae dropped back. "Oh, Primus, this is my fault," he said, his optic lowering as he placed a hand to the side of his helm. He made Megatron feel guilty in rejecting and denying him before. Fuck! He had betrayed his mate in not believing what he had said, and because of that miniscule piece of doubt, the mech had fucking handed himself in for something he didn't do!?  
"I-I have to tell his father, and Karmashock. Surely Karmashock can talk him out of this," he said, walking inside the lounge-room to grab his phone.

"He's already talking to Prowl, there's no time to go over there and do that shit. Just call them in the car. I'll drive you there," said the femme. "If he's confessed, it's going to be hard to take that back, so you need to give me any information that can help me not make Megatron the suspect."

"I'm willing to give you any information you need," said the violet mech, grabbing his keys and allowing the femme out before they both headed back to the police station. He'd call Puncture and Karmashock on the way. Hopefully Karmashock could talk some sense into the mech…

*****  
Having taken Megatron down to a small examination room, both Zydrate and Databyte were wearing gloves in case of contaminating any evidence. Megatron was seated on the examination table, having agreed to take as many tests as possible so that they could get to the bottom of this.  
Taking out some of the photos, Zydrate was looking through them, as well as a bunch of older cases that they knew Megatron had committed. Primus, he had sure ripped these femmes apart. There wasn't an inch of their bodies that wasn't covered in oil, stabbed or bruised. He sure made things personal with them.

"So far, Ich can't find anything out of zhe ordinary," Databyte heard the German mech say as he was handing Megatron his top armour so he could place it back on. He had run a scan through his body, checking for bruises in case the femme had put up a fight. So far, there was no signs of damage anywhere to the mech. Protoform or armour. Something wasn't right. He didn't believe Megatron had committed this crime at all. He may be an expert, but he wasn't as careful as this. All of his crimes showed brutality to them. There was no way that femme didn't leave a mark on him.  
"Just keep looking," he said to Zydrate, the mech giving a tired yawn and continuing to skim through the photos. It was getting late now. Past midnight. He was eager to rest at home, but he was still on duty. And he knew Prowl wasn't going to let them go home until they had solid evidence against Megatron.

Clipping down the last of his armour, Megatron watched as the smaller mech took his hands and examined them. "I already told you, I don't have any wounds on me," he said, feeling uncomfortable as the mech had to examine him. He wouldn't usually, but considering he had fucked Databyte in the past… Things were highly awkward between the two.

"Let me do my job, and then you can get out of here," snapped the seeker, his optics halving as he noted that there were no wounds to Megatron's right knuckles and hand. Surely in a struggle like the one they had examined, there would be something left behind.  
"Why did you hand yourself in, anyway?" he asked, his optics not looking to the mech as he continued examining his other hand. "I don't believe you did this. There is no evidence against your body. You are just wasting police time."

"What about the DNA?" asked Megatron, his voice sharp. "That doesn't get there magically," he said, waving his fingers, though Databyte gripping his hand back down with a forceful grunt. He simply sighed. "If you can get Prowl off my aft, then I will leave. I have to be certain it wasn't me."

"Und vhy are du certain it vas du?" asked Zydrate, looking up from his seat. "From our point of view, zhe only thing in our way ist zhat DNA. Nothing else ist against du. Nein marks. Nein similarities to zhese photographs… Someone ist framing du, Megatron. Und zhey aren't doing a sehr gut job at it."

"A what?" asked Megatron, his optics halving as he looked to the Nazi-looking mech. Primus, he was glad he didn't make the cut. So he knew most Earth languages, but in the mix up of Cybertronian, too? It would have been a pain in the aft to listen to him all day.

"A 'very good'," stated Databyte bluntly. "You'll have to excuse him. But Zydrate is right," he stated, moving away from the mech. "Whoever is doing this, they clearly don't know your history. They know enough to guess, but not to the depths of how you treated your victims. Look," he said, grabbing the photos and holding them up.

Megatron looked to the photo of the dead Utora and one of his past victims. The scene was clean in Utora's. Yes, there was blood and bruising, but not nearly as much. Yes, the femmes were the same in colour, but Utora was not the right body type compared to the thin, lithe femme in the other photo.

"Every 'bot who knows your case knows your M.O, Megatron. Thin, black and white in colour, curvy. Utora was a miner. She was thick in build. Pretty, but not the same body type. The amount of bruising to her body was from a brutal beating. No stab wounds. Yes, she bled, but where is the personal attack here? Where is the vengeance you hold for your mother?" he asked, watching the larger mech as he looked at the photos.  
"Where is the true power of the crime? Giving her what she deserved? It's not there. This is just someone pretending to be you. Pretending to beat this femme to death and then strangle her with a rope. Even in your cleanest murders, no femme went unmutilated. Her valve was intact. She was raped, and proven by the rape-kit. But we all know with your… girth, you would have torn this femme."

Chewing his bottom lip, Megatron's optics looked away from the photos. They were right. The both of them. He didn't do this… Even if he had of had a relapse, he knew this wasn't how the body would be when left to die. He would have torn her up—just like every other victim. And yet, here she was, perfectly intact. A little beaten and bloody. But other than that? He didn't do this…  
Lifting his finger, he ran it over his lip, giving a wince as he felt the cut inside it to where his canine had sliced deeply into his lip. "Then who is framing me?" he asked. "And you're going to have to do better than this if you are to prove to Prowl that I am innocent. He isn't going to let me go on some minor differences."

"Minor?" asked Zydrate. "To us, zhis ist everything to make a difference. We just have to show Prowl und hope it sticks in his head." He gave a smirk, putting the photos away. "Ich believe you can return upstairs, Herr Megatron."

*****  
Walking up the stairs, Shockwave was allowed into the station, Nebula in front of him. As soon as he saw Prowl, he walked up to him and pushed the paperwork from his hands, smacking it onto the table. "Where is Megatron?" he asked, his voice commanding.

Giving a growl, Prowl eyed his subordinate, Nebula watching him. "Megatron confessed to this, Shockwave. There is nothing you can do about that. Now go back home until I release him—that's _if_ he's released."

Shockwave's antennae went back dangerously. "I don't know what you've convinced him of, but his confession was nothing but due to an emotional imbalance. Now you release him this instant!" he snapped. He knew Prowl had a grudge against Megatron (and every other former Decepticon), it didn't take a genius to know this.

Folding his arms, Prowl gave a light laugh. "Go home, Shockwave."

"No!" snapped the former commander. "I was wrong in doubting Megatron when he told me he did not commit this crime. I now see that my own doubt has caused him to question himself. He wouldn't be confessing if it weren't for me! I take back that doubt! His confession was based on no evidence but my momentary doubt. You can't hold him on a confession that wasn't even _his_," he said, feeling a hand go to his shoulder as Karmashock had just arrived.

"He's right," said the Australian-accented mech. "Megatron cannot be interrogated without having a psychiatrist present. I know that can't be me, but I'm sure your precinct supplies them, yes?"

Prowl gave a gruff noise. He would never get anywhere with that damn therapist being so close to Megatron. He frowned as he saw Zydrate, Databyte and Megatron return, though—Zydrate coming up to his side.

Watching as the dark coated mech whispered something into Prowl's audio, Shockwave's hands went tight, though relaxed a little as he saw Megatron, Databyte making him sign something. Primus, what the hell had gone on in here!?

Prowl gave a sigh, his shoulders relaxing as he listened to what Zydrate told him. He nodded, letting the mech go back to his desk. "Alright, you can see your mate," he said, Shockwave nudging his shoulder—hard—as he walked past him. He grumbled to himself, slapping the file down onto his desk. So the M.O wasn't one-hundred per-cent the same. That didn't make Megatron innocent.

Walking up to Megatron, Shockwave leant into his chest, giving a soft breath. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, antennae going back. "I should have never doubted you. It was wrong of me. I just… Please forgive such foolishness," he said, his optic looking up to the two vermillion ones.

Feeling the warmth of his lover against him, Megatron leant down against his helm, his hands around Shockwave. "I'm free to go, but I agreed to stay the night…" he said, his voice soft.

"What? Why?" asked the violet mech, his voice concerned now. "But you're innocent!"

"Shockwave, if I really didn't do this, than we have nothing to worry about," said the former warlord. "If I did, however, I am doing everyone a favour by staying away. I know my darker side, and my darker desires. I _will_ do this again if I truly did rape and murder that femme."

Shockwave's optic arched, his antennae lowering further. "Please, if this is because of me-,"

"It's not," Megatron pushed, lifting his finger and placing it to the bottom of Shockwave's chin. "I just want to be sure. And I thank you for believing me now."

"I never should have doubted you…" He stopped as he saw an officer rush into the room, heading over to Prowl. His antennae perked up a little, Nebula walking back over to the two of them. "What is going on?"

"There's been another rape homicide in the mines," said the femme. "Same M.O." Her voice was more worried this time; knowing Prowl was going to instantly pin this on Megatron.

Megatron's optics arched as he let his hands fall from being around Shockwave's frame. "How…? I was here the whole night… it-it couldn't have been me," he murmured, his optics looking over to Prowl as he marched towards him.

"You're not going anywhere, Megatron," stated the officer. "Nebula, take him to a holding cell. Until the scene has been cleared up from Zydrate and Databyte, you are to remain a suspect."

"You can't do that!" snapped Shockwave, his voice harsh now. "You have no evidence! You said he was free to go."

"Yeah, well, that was before another miner ended up raped and murdered. This time in Megatron's sector," said Prowl, ordering Nebula to cuff the mech once more. She regrettably did so, motioning for Megatron to follow her.

Megatron's spark went tight, though he kept as calm as he could. "I'll be out as soon as possible, Shockwave. Don't worry."

Don't worry? That was impossible! Shockwave's antennae went down slowly, his hands going tight as Megatron went out of sight. "I'll make sure you'll regret this, Prowl," he said darkly as he looked back to the captain. "Every mech and femme in town will hear about your discrimination. I can promise you that."

Uneasily, Prowl watched as Shockwave walked out of the room and sat with Karmashock in the waiting room. His spark gripped a little at the thought of his hatred becoming public. He frowned. No, he would prove that Megatron was the criminal here—not the victim.  
"Come on, guys, let's hurry this up!" he snapped, grabbing some supplies before pushing Zydrate and Databyte out of the building. "We have a crime scene to secure."

**Author's Comment:**

****Tsk, tsk, Prowl. He's such an arse of a mech. He was starting to doubt Megatron had committed the crime, but considering another body has been discovered, he instantly went back to believing it was Megatron. He's pretty determined to keep this bias opinion. And... well... Shockwave's certainly shown his feelings towards it. :/

I like putting Megatron in an interrogation room. Something dark comes out of him when he's locked away and being questioned. Plus, Prowl was asking for it when he turned dark. Seriously... don't talk to Megatron like you know anything about raping a femme and his reasons. XD

It was nice for Megatron and Shockwave to have a minute to reunite, though. 3 It was sweet while it lasted... I have a feeling Puncture will have some shit to say once he gets here.

Oh God I love writing Databyte and Zydrate! They're such laughs! 3 Sorry if Zy's accent is a little hard to read. If you're having any trouble on some of the translations, just ask and I'll answer. Or you can Google 'em.


	6. Chapter 6

Part VI

Down in the mines, Zydrate lifted the camera, clicking it down as it took shot after shot of the scene. The body this time was much more fresh, and much more beaten. Oil covered the walls. This one had been more brutal. And it looked like she had put up more of a fight.  
"Are we ready to take her out?" he said, the other officers walking around the scene, bagging and tagging as much as they could. "We have to examine her as quickly as possible, Captain," he said, Prowl walking over to him. "It ist fresh… The fresher she ist, the more evidence ist on the victim."

Prowl hadn't caught her name on any tag, he had been too busy making his team get everything together. Plus, it looked like she was nameless for the time being. "Take her back to the lab as quickly as you can," he said, Zydrate nodding his head and walking back over to the body. "Databyte, what do you have for me?"

Looking up from his crouched position, Databyte ran his gloved fingers through the oil that was against the floor. "A lot of oil. Multiple stab wounds to the chassis. Ligature marks around the throat. Same rope by the looks of it," he said, picking up one of the bags that had a fibre in it.

"Was she raped?" asked Prowl, his arms folding, his voice as blunt as ever.

Databyte pushed himself to his pedes—still shorter than Prowl. "Oil is covering most of her port. We're going to have to examine her better in the lab for details on what is inside her. Other than that, we have found something else," he said, pointing to the marking that one of the other officers was casting. "A pede-print."

A pede-print? Prowl smiled. "Excellent…" he whispered, though disappointed in the size. It was small. It was definitely larger than a femme's, but it was still smaller than most mechs. He frowned at that. "Get this wrapped up as soon as possible," he said to the other officers, nodding to Databyte so he could take the body back to the lab. There, they'd have more information.  
He tapped one of the other officers on the shoulder, getting their attention. "The mech that found her. Take him into the station and give him some energon. We're going to need a full statement," he said, the other mech nodding and leading the mech who had found the corpse out of the mine.

Leaning down, Databyte helped Zydrate lift the body as the German mech zipped it up tight. They put her on the trolley and wheeled her into the back of the M.E vehicle. They then drove back, silently, to the police station. Prowl tailed them, only transforming when they arrived back to the front of the precinct. There, they transported the body down to the morgue.

Unzipping the bag, Zydrate gave a choked breath as the body was starting to decay. Unfortunately, she was a Jane Doe. She didn't have any contact information on her. When it was morning, he gathered Prowl would contact the boss of that section to identify her—that was even if she _worked_ in that section.

"Do a rape examination, please," ordered Prowl, nodding his head to Databyte. "I want the DNA out of there. Also, it looks like she put up a bit of a fight, Zydrate, examine her body for paint or anything she may have scraped off the mech. How long has she been dead?"

Sticking in the instrument into her body, Zydrate waited a moment before it beeped, removing it. "A cycle ago… She ist not even in rigger, Prowl. Whoever found her, zhey must have found her just after she had been attacked. Surely zhey heard something, right?"

"I'll find out when I interview the witness. He should be upstairs," said the Datsun.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" said Databyte, Prowl turning to look at him. "Megatron. He was here all night. It was impossible that he committed the murder."

Prowl's jaw went tight. No, he hadn't forgotten about Megatron. In fact, he was enjoying the fact that he was locked down in a cell right now. He was simply trying to prolong that enjoyment.  
"That doesn't account for the first murder," he said, almost determined to keep the former warlord locked away.

"No, but what are the chances someone else out there would commit the exact same act? And this time in Megatron's sector?" said the lithe mech. "I doubt whoever framed Megatron was expecting him to hand himself in. They probably stalked his apartment, saw him leave and assumed that he was on his way to work. There, they framed him. Unfortunately, we know where Megatron was—they clearly did not."

The captain lowered his optics, shaking his helm a little. Fine, he would release the mech, but as soon as something came up, he would arrest him again. He'd be sure of that.

*****  
Having uncuffed Megatron, Nebula gave a frown as he sat in the temporary cell by himself. No one else was in here—which was probably a good thing. She knew he probably wouldn't have enjoyed the company of some low-life criminal.  
"I'll send Shockwave down," she said. "Do you want anything? Need to call someone else?" She asked, watching as the mech shook his head in silence. Damnit, now that he was finally waking up to himself and knew that he didn't commit the crime, Prowl had to be an aft and lock him up? He had no solid proof, and she was pretty sure he was pissing all over Megatron's rights as a Cybertronian citizen. However, he was the captain of their squad-room. Part of her actually hoped Shockwave was true to his word.  
Grabbing her keys, she locked the cell and headed back upstairs, the room pretty much empty with most of the officers having gone to the scene at the mine. In the waiting room, she walked in with two cubes of energon, not expecting to see a third.

"Where's my son!?" growled Puncture, his emerald optics locking to the ruby ones of the officer.

So, this was Megatron's father? Nebula took a moment to study him, seeing that same anger that Megatron had inside him. She smiled inwardly, though considering what had happened to her once leader, she wasn't about to be super friendly to the mech.  
"Megatron is down in holding—Prowl's orders," she said, putting a hand up as Karmashock took the cube she offered him. "The case isn't mine, sir, so I can't do anything about what is happening here. We just have to wait until they come back."

"An' while that's happenin', my son is bein' tormented by his past demons by bein' locked up in some fuckin' cell!?" snapped the oldest of the bunch. "Karmashock, can't you do somethin'!? You know that mech's head better than anyone 'ere! You can't think this is right!"

The Australian-accented mech leant his arm against the wall, giving a tired look to his patient's father. "Unfortunately, Megatron's been arrested under suspicion of murder. They have his DNA. As long as he's in a secluded area and not being interrogated, I can't do anything, mate," he said, shaking his head. "Not while Prowl's out, anyway. We could get him a lawyer, but Megatron apparently didn't ask for one."

"He handed himself in," said Shockwave, his English accent soft as he looked to his father-in-law. "He has no lawyer, no therapist. He's locked in a cold cell by himself… What are we supposed to do?" he said, looking up to Nebula.

The femme gave a shrug, looking around the empty room. "You can visit him while Prowl isn't here, okay? But you have to be quick. If Prowl gets back, I'm gunna be in deep shit with him for letting you all go down there."

Karmashock watched the femme intently for a moment. Since when was she so nice? Okay, so she wasn't always a bitch, but Nebula wasn't exactly the nicest femme in the world. "If you're gunna get into trouble because of us, we don't wanna be a danger to your job, Nebula," he said, putting the now empty cube down onto the bench.

Nebula snorted, waving her hand. "You think I like Prowl?" she asked, arching an optic ridge. "Please. I'll be fine. I'll lead you downstairs."

Shockwave was the first to move, following the femme down the stairs and into the cells. They weren't prison cells, they were just temporary holding cells. He was thankful they were empty. And he was even more thankful to see Megatron.  
Moving forward, he placed his hands to the bars, his antennae going down as Megatron made his way over. "Megatron, I promise you'll get out of here," he said, his voice soft as he felt his mate's dark hand go against his fingers on the insides of the bars.

"It's my fault," said Megatron, giving a sorry smile. "If I hadn't have handed myself in, Prowl wouldn't think he had control of me," he said, wishing that he could hold his mate. The bars made him frustrated, and he gave a gruff breath, leaning his helm against them.

"As soon as Prowl comes back, we'll have you outta here," said Karmashock, catching Megatron's attention. He gave a small smile. He was worried that Megatron was down here, sitting in a cold, still cell by himself. It would be something to trigger a relapse or a mental episode. And enough for him to get violent in the future. Hell, Megatron could probably bend the bars if he really wanted to.

Looking past Karmashock, Megatron saw the emerald optics. "What are you doing here?" he said, looking to his father. He seemed angry. Then again, he was always angry. He frowned, remembering when he had been taken away from his mother and father when just a child. He had been so scared. His mother had been crying. But his father? Only disappointment showed on his face.

"You're in prison an' you're asking me why I'm 'ere?" said Puncture, moving forward. "'The bloody hell made you hand yourself in, boy? I know you've done some fucked up shit in your life, but you're better! You wouldn't do that again!" he said, his voice sounding as if it were the honest truth. He couldn't bare his son doing the same thing to him again. Not now. He was just too old to deal with that kind of pain.

Megatron's hands left the bars as he moved back and sat down on the small bench inside the cell. "I had to be sure…" he said, his voice soft. "I can't become that mech again, Father… I have a mate to look after now."

Feeling his spark lighten a little, Shockwave gave a soft noise, watching his mate. "You can't look after me when you're sitting in there, silly…" he said, his accent soft. He was pleased to see Megatron give a small smile, though heavily masked by his poignant expression.

"No…" said Megatron, looking back up. "And that is why I'm determined to get out. I know I did not commit this crime. It's all wrong," he said, standing back up and walking over to the bars. He caught the confused looks towards him, and he grinned a little.  
"Karmashock, talk to one of the officers and they should explain what is different to my former crimes and these ones. They're not the same. Both Databyte and Zydrate explained to me, and I now know this wasn't my doing. Not with the lack of… violence done to her."

"Lack of violence?" Karmashock asked, arching an optic brow. "What kind of details can you give me? This could prove a lot by a psychiatrist's optic."

"Just talk to the officers when they get back," said Megatron. "I want to spend some time with my mate before he has to leave." His voice was strong, commanding, even though there was hidden desperation inside. He just wished to be supported by Shockwave right now. No one else mattered.

Karmashock nodded, taking the mech's advice. He would talk to one of the officers when they got back—if they had the spare time. "Alright."

"Come on, you heard the mech," said Nebula, motioning her arms to the stairs. "Go upstairs and back into the waiting room if you don't wanna head back home." She heard the grumble from Puncture and halved her optics, giving a disgruntled look. Like father like son.

*****  
Walking up the stairs, Prowl rubbed the side of his temple, giving off a tired sigh. They were working this case overtime, and he knew they wouldn't be going home to their berths anytime soon. It was a pain in the aft, but that was his job. He protected and served Cybertron.  
As he reached the squad-room, he saw that Shockwave was still there, and so was Karmashock. He hadn't seen Puncture come in, so he didn't know he had left. Well, he figured it was time to tell them their good news, right? For him—not so much. It meant that they were back to the bloody beginning of this mess.  
Walking over to the two mechs, he was forced to look up a little as Shockwave stood, over-towering him. He put a hand up before the violet mech could say anything, though. "He's being let out," he said, something in his voice regretful. "The time of the murder was during his stay here—which clears him as a suspect due to his strong alibi."

Something in Shockwave's systems gave a relaxed hiss, his antennae perking up as he continued to watch the officer. "Should I still have reason to make a formal complaint on the way you treated your guest?" he asked, his voice sharp. "I appreciate that you've finally seen the error of your ways, but what of other's like myself and Megatron? Will you continue your bias hunt, or can I leave here in peace?"

Prowl wouldn't lie, getting a formal complaint could mean losing his job. This meant that he would have to apologise to Megatron for Shockwave to back off. He knew it. He gave a defeated, and a regretful growl. "I will apologise to Megatron," he said. Every part of his body was yelling at him to disobey, though. That mech belonged in prison!

"Good," said Shockwave, his optic stern. However, it lightened at the sight of Megatron, Zydrate taking off the handcuffs and letting him go. "Here is your chance. Officer."

Turning, Prowl saw the silver mech, seeming confused to what was going on. "You're free to go, Megatron. Your timing here proves you weren't the suspect we were looking for. But that doesn't mean we won't be keeping an optic on you. Your DNA was still inside the victim. However, we've come to the conclusion that you are, in fact, being framed for these crimes."

Rubbing his wrists, Megatron's facial expression was merely blank. "And you wasted all this time in thinking it was me. Why don't you be a professional next time, instead of holding petty grudges?" he said, nudging past the former Autobot.

Prowl's optics narrowed. "You were the one who handed yourself in!" he snapped, Megatron turning around so they were face-to-face.

"And I wouldn't have doubted myself if it weren't for you telling me I was in trouble for something I didn't commit!" snapped the older mech. "You came into _my_ home and accused me of lies! You made me think I did this just because of my past. And then you arrest me without having a drop of _real_ evidence and have the cogs to bring up my _mother!?_"  
Megatron laughed, though wishing he could have hit the mech. "The only reason I was well behaved was because I was on your turf. Now that I'm not? You had better watch your fucking back, otherwise you may not have a position in this precinct anymore."

Swallowing, Prowl stood tall, though he knew it wasn't professional to yell back. Megatron was right. He had treated him like a common prisoner. He shouldn't have. Not with no true evidence. But damnit! Everything fucking pointed to him! He had just been doing his job!  
He didn't lower his optics. Not while half of the room was watching them. "You are right, and I apologise for any cruelty done to you during your stay," he said, biting down onto his tongue as he finished. Primus, how he wanted to take it all back.

"Good," snapped Megatron. "Now you had better find this bastard before you have another dead femme on your fucking wall over there," he said, pointing to the photos of the two crimes he had been blamed for. He then turned his back and walked out of the complex, into the cool night. Shockwave and Karmashock had followed.

"Mate, you okay?" said the therapist, tugging on his coat as the cold air hit up against him, freezing his cheeks and nose. "Shit, it's cold out here."

Lighting up a cigarette, Megatron gave a relieved sigh, leaning his head back for a moment. "It's good to be out of there," he said, feeling his cybernetic muscle loosen from its cycles of being tense and trapped. The area out here wasn't nice, but it was outside, and it made him feel much more relaxed than being couped up in a tiny cell. "I'm guessing Puncture went home?"

Shockwave nodded. "He said he wanted to stay, but he had to go back home and inform Statik of what had happened. I shall call him early in the morning so he doesn't come here expecting to see you."  
His own armour loosened from Megatron being taken out of custody. He smiled inwardly as he watched his mate give another relaxed drag of the cigarette. "We should get home. It's late, and it is a work night—for the both of us," he stated. "Karmashock?"

Looking at the stairs, Karmashock's stale optics turned back to the violet mech. "I think I'm gunna head back in—get a little bit more info on what the difference was about these cases. I'll catch ya tomorrow, ey? And Megatron, if you need anything, don't hesitate to call. You got my number." He patted the larger mech on the shoulder before leaving the two of them in the cold night. He wanted to get down to the bottom of these crimes. Hell, maybe he could even profile the killer.

*****  
It was late, but Megatron didn't care. He dropped the keys onto the ground as Shockwave pushed his body against his. "I'm thinking… I might take tomorrow off…" he breathed as he kissed against his mate's neck and chest, Shockwave's fingers digging into his armour to unclip and it toss it around the house as he walked up the stairs backwards.

"Yes? Well… maybe that's a good idea," spoke the English accent of the former commander, just as breathless. He should have never doubted Megatron the way he had. He didn't want to. If he could turn back time, he would, just to prove to Megatron that he believed and loved him.  
The last few solar-cycles had been tough on the both of them. Not just Megatron, but him, too. He worried for his mate. He worried that something bad could happen. Hell, he worried every day that the mech would do something silly and relapse. He should have had more faith in the mech than that. But right now, he just wanted to prove to him that he loved him in every way possible.  
As Megatron's legs hit the berth, he was forced to sit down. He felt those warm hands go down his hips, removing the plating to his crotch armour and throwing it onto the floor. And then he felt those warm lips against his pubic region, hitting up just above his cable.  
"Primus, I'm so sorry," the violet mech whispered, his antennae going down as his hands rested gently on Megatron's helm. "I should have never have doubted you. I've been disloyal in doing so," he stated, feeling guilty for betraying his mate's trust in him.

"No," said Megatron, tugging on the mech's hands and pulling him down. There he moved over him so Shockwave was beneath him on the berth. Naked. Beautiful. His everything. He smiled at that, leaning down and kissing the mech's belly. He got a reaction from it, and he enjoyed that, his hand running down that smooth, perfect, ivory thigh.  
"I don't blame you," he whispered. He was happy to be in the comfort of his own home. Especially on the berth, the sheets soft beneath him. He'd be lying if those images of those dead femmes didn't turn him on. He found them playing in his mind, as well as the whole scene of the crime. Those femmes raped. Dead. Slaughtered. Bloody… Oh, fuck, he could feel it making his cable press against his thigh.

"Shh, focus," said Shockwave, having seen the mech's optics look elsewhere. He knew the crimes were playing on his mind. He wasn't stupid. He didn't need Karmashock to tell him that, either. The sooner this was out of Megatron's system: the better.  
He lifted one hand and ran it down his lover's nape. "I'm here for you now," he murmured in his English accent, antennae flat against the berth. "Take me."

Feeling Shockwave's thighs go against his hips, Megatron leant down to kiss his mate, the sheets rustling beneath them. He felt the mech's erection go against his, and was unable to hold himself back from taking the mech beneath him. He'd supported him through everything. Not just the war, but everything after that, too. And for that, he could never harm his former commander.

**Author's Comment:**

****Ack, such a short chapter. Sorry about that. BUT at least Megatron is out, right!? And of course, a little bit more of Zydrate and Databyte-which is good. I love seeing these two. Zydrate is such a kid, but I do love when he's being serious. XD And, they've got more evidence! I wonder who is the real killer then, hmm?

I wanted Prowl to get more of a slap in the face here at the end, but I'm pleased with how Megatron and Shockwave handled things. Besides, if they were to assault Prowl or anything, well that would just land them in a prison cell, so yeah. They're smarter than that. =3 And I'm pretty sure Megatron just wanted to get the hell out of there.

And sorry to cut you all short of a sex scene. I didn't want to write a full one, so I just cut it off. Makes it more special I feel, and more romantic. =3 Plus, I really think these two deserve some fluffy romance!


	7. Chapter 7

Part VII.

Pushing the doors open, Karmashock walked into the plaza once more, seeing Prowl taking away the witness who had found the femme. He searched the room. Zydrate was gone, probably down in the labs, and that left Databyte. He made his way over to the desk, giving a hearty smile.  
"Do you have a moment? I mean, I know you're obviously busy as all hell considering what is happening, but I thought I might be able to help profile the killer. Or at least get some information on the differences between Megatron's past kills and the ones he is being framed for."  
He knew Megatron and Databyte had history together, too. So this might be a better moment for him to open the mech up a bit. He knew it was a long shot, but he figured it was worth a try, right? Because ever since the incident had been revealed, both mechs were tight lipped about it.

The former medic was quiet as he kept a close optic on what was going on. He had been on the cusp of obsession over this case ever since it had shown up on his desk. Looking up from his reports, his blank expression was almost instantly graced with one that was nothing short of displeasure.  
"I suppose, I'm just in review right now," he said, flexing his fingers nervously. "We've already got a fairly decent profile, but if you think you can help..." Those dark, violet optics gave him a warning glare. "But until we get the full results back from the lab on this new body, nothing can really be made out for certain, can it?"  
The small mech's voice was tight and serious; as it always was, no matter the situation. "I'm assuming you know all the details from the last one, do you need to be caught up on the most recent body?" He plucked up a few files and with the delicacy only Databyte could have, and handed them over to Karmashock.

Admittedly, Karmashock was a little surprised at how polite and kind the mech was being—especially considering how hard the day had been. "Uh, yeah," he said, giving a grin as he took the files. "Actually, Megatron didn't tell me too much about the first murder at all. And Prowl didn't speak to me at all…" He snorted a little at that.  
"All I know is that Megatron's DNA was found inside her. And that... well, that was pretty much it, actually." He opened the files, skimming through the pictures. Hell, immediately he could tell the difference between the fresh kills and Megatron's past victims. "Huh... And... Did Prowl even _look_ at these?" There was no way the same mind committed these.

"Hardly. But then again, he's so gung-ho about the entire thing, I doubt he even heard a word we said," Databyte snapped, clearly irritated to say the least. "Regardless, the DNA certainly doesn't lie. I almost hope this new one comes back with it, too. Then we'll know for sure he's being framed, and Prowl can shut the fuck up."  
The hacker's expression twisted into something strange, almost like a child who cussed when they shouldn't. He hardly ever cursed, unless he was truly angry. Clearing his throat, it was clear he was working his hardest to keep all of his rage bottled up so that he could be professional. That explained why he wasn't glaring and yelling at Karmashock from the instant he showed up.  
Moving back in his small office space, he pulled the files from the first body, too. "Look, this femme is pretty much the polar opposite from this other victims. Other than the fact that she is, well, a she, there's nothing." He flipped through the sheets, his fingertips starting to spark. "Sadly, Prowl is dead set, but it will be worth it when we find who really did this and he'll feel like a moron." His mouth tugged up into an almost-smile. "There's nothing quite like watching that mech take the walk of shame from evidence to his office."

The coated mech couldn't help but give a laugh at that. Laughing from Databyte? Well, that was something new. He pushed it aside, folding his arms in his seat as he looked at what the mech had shown him. Yes, he was right. Besides the fact that the victim was a femme, there wasn't much else in common. Except for the fact that it was showing more violence in the act. She was deeply bruised and broken. He had to tear his optics from the image.  
"Yeah, but Megatron's out now, so I guess Prowl's already got the shits, right?" he said, shrugging a little. It was nice seeing the mech being put back in his place. He was sure Megatron and Shockwave were happy with going back home, too.  
His optics looked across the quiet office, seeing the closed door. The witness was probably being asked questions now. He wondered who he was. Well, it wasn't his job, but he was a very curious mech in the end.  
"It seems you're rather happy that this wasn't Megatron's doing," he commented, watching the other mech intently for any kind of reaction. He knew the both of them were not comfortable talking about what had happened between one another. Just how far did Megatron and Databyte's 'relationship' go? He knew they had more or less fucked, but other than that? It was one thing Megatron had refused to talk about.  
"I have to ask, Databyte," he said, his voice soft, "is it simply because you hate Prowl? Or do you still... well, you know? I know you never had _feelings_ for Megatron, but I think you know what I'm getting at. Are you still somewhat loyal to his past cause as a Decepticon?"

Databyte was silent when Karmashock began to speak about the case. He had already gone over everything in his head a thousand times, so there was nothing new. "He's got something," he commented, crossing his arms, then cupping his own jaw in his hand in thought. However, the next thing Karmashock brought up made his lithe form go terribly tense.  
Optics becoming dangerous, terrifying, he hissed. "That is not what this is about," he said, voice cold and lethal. "It would do you good to stop trying to pry. You've gotten everything you needed from me before. My interactions with Megatron were stellar-cycles ago and do not have any relevance to this." His hands were both sparking violently, light blue static jumping off his digits and dancing up his cheek, then disappearing into his helm vents.  
Breathing slightly hard, Databyte stepped back from Karmashock. "And my _feelings_ have nothing to do with this, either. Perhaps I became a member of law enforcement to, I don't know, _enforce the law_. Not use it to do favours for old patients." He raised his hand and flung it in a dismissive manner.

It honestly didn't surprise the Australian-accented mech when Databyte began to get hostile. He'd seen it before. He did sit back straight, though. However, it was amazingly intriguing to watch him react the way he did. There were so many things expelling from the mech before him, he just wanted to put him in a glass jar and examine him all over.  
_Interesting_, he thought, though kept his mouth shut, his fingers ghosting over his goatee for a moment. "You're absolutely right, I overstepped my boundary—I seem to do that a lot," he said, though quite cheerily and relaxed. "I will point out that you called him a 'patient', though. Care to explain that one? You know... while we're on the topic," he grinned, knowing he was digging his own grave here. Primus, Databyte was already fuming, but watching him was just much too interesting. And as far as he knew, Databyte wasn't a psychiatric doctor of any kind, so calling him a 'patient' wasn't exactly normal. Yes, he was a medic, but even so, long-term use of that word just seemed strange for someone who was now an officer.

Hands clenching, Databyte narrowed his optics in warning. He stared, long and hard at Karmashock, as if expecting him to take back what he had said. But he didn't, he just gave him that shit eating grin. He paused, his optics fading back to some limbo expression. "Well, when you take someone under your watch with the intent to improve them, doesn't that make them your patient?" he asked bluntly.  
A revelation had come across the ex-Decepticon's mind. He could see the shimmer of curiosity in Karmashock's optics, he was incredibly easy to read. "I _was_ a medic, you know. And I... attempted to improve him." He was teasing the therapist. He knew how very, very _badly_ the mech wanted to know about their interactions, what had happened.  
"Shouldn't you be going?" he asked, his voice lighter now. His expression was unreadable, as usual, but he was internally smirking, knowing how much he'd tempted the mech in front of him. "Prowl is nearly finished questioning. It should only be a few more minutes, I'm sure you can convince him to let you know the details."

Fuck the details; Karmashock was way more interested in the mech before him right now. He smirked a little, resting back in his seat and being his casual self. He brushed his coat down a little before letting his slate optics hold the violet ones.  
"There is quite a difference between how you and I 'treated' Megatron. I think you know that as much as I do. His silence says more that you physically fucked around with him—if not literally," he said, making sure to keep optic contact. "But we both know that went down, considering how you let it slip. That's not really what I'm interested in, though. You say you tried to help him. Just how far did helping him go? It doesn't take a genius to know that you're both uncomfortable around one another. And quite frankly, you must have done something quite powerful to have this certain... hold over Megatron." He saw the way Megatron had simply obeyed the order in dropping him when the secret was revealed to everyone inside that little room. Was Databyte willing to expose anything further, though? He knew he was being teased, but to be honest, he was enjoying it. There was nothing more exciting to a therapist than being given hints.

"Was there really that much of a difference?" Databyte challenged. His expressions became angry again when he suggested something more perverse. "You have _no idea_ what 'went down'," he said. "You can't even comprehend. We only were together that way once," he whispered out, his voice thick with contempt. He was smug when Karma brought up his ability to get Megatron to obey him.  
Flexing his shoulders, he turned his back on Karmashock, going about his business as if he wasn't there. He left the poor mech hanging there for a full breem, before he finally turned back to him. "There is nothing you can do that will make me elaborate what occurred over the several stellar-cycles I knew Megatron personally."  
He was getting irritated again, but he hid it just as easily as his wrath was being incurred. "There are some things even a mental health mech can't handle. You are all about what's going on in the processor, nothing else. I can take a mech apart by the screws and leave no trace behind. You can make them have feelings." He waved his hand, clearly finding Karmashock's profession a joke.  
"But, sure. I'm sure you're very proud of yourself," the hacker said, sitting at his desk. "Why don't you try getting Megatron to talk about it? Though, I can assure, he won't. But it will be funny to watch you attempt."

Karmashock's lips parted for a moment, watching the other. Okay, so he got the fact that he wasn't going to get anything out of the mech... today. He didn't accept defeat that easily, though. Everything came down to mathematics in the end. Just as emotions did. They were chemicals and numbers that every sentient thing had. Including Databyte. Even if he tried to disregard of them. Well, so Karmashock saw it, anyway.  
"Megatron talks to me a lot more than you realise, Data," he said, though standing up from his seat. "You know, I'm actually quite surprised at how much information you gave me today. You might think that you're holding a lot back, but body language says more than you know. And I'm not giving up that easily."  
Smiling politely, he took out something from his coat pocket. "Here," he said, sliding the card across the desk. "I know you're not ready for defeat yet. Plus, I'm kinda beginning to like this game of Chess. Call me some time," he said with a smirk as he watched the other mech.

Optics halved, Databyte looked to the card on the desk. Humming in his throat, the hacker gingerly plucked it up between two fingers. "I don't play your games. I play mine," he said coldly. With his optics dark and locked right onto Karmashock's, he extended his hand out and dropped the card into the shredder attached to his desk. It buzzed lightly as it devoured the card and spat out the ground up pulp down below.

Karmashock simply shook his head. "I'm looking forward to it," he said before turning his back and walking from the station. He saw Prowl leading the witness out, but he wasn't interested in the crime that much anymore. He was going to go home to his apartment, open up some books and analyse the shit out of that stubborn mech.

*****  
It was morning. The sunlight was beginning to stripe across the berth, this time the alarm not going off. Megatron had been true to his word. He wasn't going into work, and neither was Shockwave. It was hard to actually persuade the mech to give up the day, but considering how things had been lately? The both of them deserved some peace and quiet. And Megatron was more than happy to feel his lover against his chest as he rolled over and spooned him gently.

Shockwave's systems gave off a soft purr. Like always, being intimate with Megatron had been amazing. His systems were tired, but he'd be lying if they weren't ready to be taken once more from the larger mech.  
Of course, he still felt guilty that he had ever doubted his former leader. He had never doubted him during war, so why doubt him now? Megatron was a smart mech. Yes, he would always be a little screwed up when it came to his head, but he would never lie to him like that. Even if he didn't think he relapsed, there would still be something pushing the mech that could tell if he had or hadn't.  
"Mmm," he murmured, letting his hand take Megatron's and curl it against his chest. "How are you feeling?" he asked, knowing Megatron was probably on Cloud Nine considering he was safe and home now—away from the law.

"Much better," stated the older mech, his voice husky as he whispered into the back and side of Shockwave's neck. He kisses it softly, feeling Shockwave's body shudder at the warm and gentle touch. "And yourself? You were rather… needy last night," he mused, his optics watching what he could see of his lover's face.

With his hands tightening around Megatron's arm, Shockwave's body curled for a moment before he rolled over to face the silver mech. "I had to let you know how sorry I was for ever doubting you," he said softly, his accent rough from his stasis, though.  
He lifted his hand from beneath the sheets, touching his fingertips against his mate's sharp cheek line. "I really am sorry, Megatron. I just… I had to be sure. I should have never doubted you the way I had." He frowned inwardly, expelling a soft sigh as his optic and hand lowered.

"Shockwave, stop worrying," said the older mech, picking the soft hand back up and kissing his knuckles gently. "If I were in your pedes, I probably would have felt the same. If not worse. You know what this mind is like. I don't blame you at all with my DNA being found inside that femme. And this other one? I don't even know who or what happened… The only reason I'm here now is because I was at the station when her death occurred. And I thank you for making me question myself so I went inside. If I hadn't have turned myself in, then I may as well be put in prison now. Prowl wouldn't have let me out of it weren't for last night."  
He smiled, leaning onto his elbow and giving his mate a soft kiss. "Come on. We have the whole day off to spend with one another. What would you like to do?" He didn't exactly wish to ponder on anymore of this rape homicide. He just wanted his life to be separate from it. Even if he did want to know how the fuck his DNA got in someone else's hands.

Moving into Megatron, the former commander snuggled against his bare chest. "For now, I think I just want to lay with you," he said, his voice soft. He ran his palm down the thick chest before slipping it down the mech's side and hip.

"I'm fine with that," smirked the older mech, his hand going around the back of the violet and ivory mech to pull him on top of him.

*****  
Leading the femme down the stairs, Prowl gave a yawn. The team had been awake most of the night, doing shifts and sleeping in the 'cot' so it was called. Which was a small berth in the locker-room where they could get a few cycles of stasis before they had to wake up again.  
"Right this way, ma'am," he said. It was time for the body from early this morning to be identified. No missing report had been filed, so the next best thing was to where she had been found—considering the witness from last night hadn't known her personally and wasn't very good at giving any information.

"H-how… Is she that bad?" asked Layce, her optics looking up at the officer as they finally reached the glass window, another mech inside who wore a thick, black coat.

The doors on Prowl's back moved a little. "She's pretty beaten up," he admitted, knocking on the glass to get Zydrate's attention. "Are you ready, Miss Layce?"

Layce gave a deep breath. She'd never done something like this before. Hell, she'd never seen a _real_ dead body before. She'd seen some pretty nasty injuries in the mines, but this wasn't a mining incident. Someone had beaten and raped this femme…

"Zydrate," said the officer, the mech behind the glass taking off the cover that was over the corpse.

Placing her hands to her face, Layce had to avert her optics from the bruised mush of what was once a face-plate, Prowl motioning for Zydrate to put the cover back on. Primus, the bruises, the blood… The open wounds. Whoever the hell hit this femme up, they had done a cruel job of it.  
"It-it's Eclipse," she breathed, her optics lowering as she tried to push the brutality from her mind. She'd been hit around a thousand times by Tulkah, but she never knew what it was like for other femmes to suffer—and what she may have looked like in the optics of another.

Prowl placed a hand to the femme's shoulder. "Do you have any information you could give me? Did you know her well? Did you notice anyone interested in her lately? More than usual? Anything out of the ordinary?" he asked, leading Layce back away from the glass door as the curtain was shut so they could no longer see Zydrate and the body beneath the sheet.

Shaking her head, Layce wiped a stray tear from her face. "E-everybody loved her," she said. "She got around a bit, with some of the miners, but… nothing out of the ordinary. Everyone knew if they slept with her it wasn't a permanent thing. I mean, that's what most mechs want anyway, right?" she asked. "I can't think of anyone who would do something like this. Not in my sector, anyway…"

Looking down, Prowl let her sit on the chair just outside the morgue. He handed her a cup of energon from the dispenser. It was nothing grand, but it was a gentle gesture. "What about Megatron?" he asked, sitting next to her.

Layce's optics widened a little at the mention of the mech's name. No. No way he would do something like this! Okay, so she knew if his past, but… he couldn't do something like that again. She could just see it in him. Then again, why hadn't he come to work today?  
Holding the cup, she frowned. "No. Megatron's very moody, but he tends to stay away from the femmes in the sector. We only have two. Not including myself. I've never even seen him talk to them," she said, looking back to the Datsun. "Primus… what if I'm next?"

"We'll provide you protection," he said sternly. "Layce, you don't have to talk to someone to know them, or pin them as your next rape victim."

"He didn't do this!" snapped the femme, though instantly blabbering an apology as the mech looked at her. "It's not like him. Like I said, he's moody, yes, but he knows his boundaries. He's a smart mech. And he sure as hell wouldn't rape one of our…" She stopped, placing a hand to her face as more tears came from her optics. "I'm sorry."

Letting his shoulders relax, Prowl shook his head. "It's alright, Miss, just take your time. Is there _anything_ at all that you could give me?"

After a moment, Layce pulled herself together, giving a deep breath once more. She tried to think, and think hard. Everything around the mines seemed normal as ever, though. Eclipse was well known, and well liked. Even with the femmes. Sure, she got around, but it never hurt anyone, right? Unless one of the 'bots in the mines had actually had romantic feelings for her? Rape and murder seemed so extreme, though… Then again, she did know parts of Megatron's history and what feelings could do to an aching mech (or femme).  
"I'm sorry," she said, shaking her helm once more. "I can't think of anything. Everyone loved her. Even the femmes enjoyed her company. She was a hard worker. I can't think of any reason for anyone to harm her. And as far as I know, she doesn't have a romantic relationship with anyone."  
She felt guilty that she couldn't help the mech. Hell, she wanted to more than anything—especially knowing what had been done to her worker and friend. It seemed like such a waste of time that she couldn't do anything. It honestly made her feel a little worthless.  
"I'm really sorry..." she said, her optics glazing once more. "I want this bastard to go to prison just as much as you do, Prowl. I just... I can't think of anything that is of any help."

Although disappointed, Prowl knew it wasn't her fault. They were still no further on catching whoever had done this. However, he put on a smile for the femme. He didn't want to make her feel any more guilty than she already was.  
"It's quite alright," he said, standing back up from his seat. "If you think of anything, and even if it seems small, call me, alright?" he said, flipping out a small card and handing it to the femme.

Layce nodded as she stood. "Of course. And... thanks for the energon," she said, nudging her hand up before she was directed out of the plaza.

Prowl gave a gruff sigh. Damnit, this was beginning to piss him off. He just wanted whoever this bastard was to be locked up and out of the streets. If this was the rate of the murders, then who knew how many more dead femmes there would be by the end of the lunar-cycle.  
He moved back down to the lab, pushing the doors open and seeing his fellow 'detectives'. "Have you at least got anything that can help?" he asked, leaning his back against the wall, his voice commanding and as snappy as ever.

Databyte turned from his desk, picking up a data-sheet. "Looks like Megatron's oil is still what the real perpetrator is using. It was found inside her body, just like the first," he explained, letting Prowl take a look at it—not that the captain knew much about oil. That's what he and Zydrate were for.

"Anything else?"

"Nein paint..." said Zydrate, putting the femme's fingers down. "All oil was her own. However, we have a third member's oil splatter on her body. Zhey are not in the system, though. We checked already."

But that was still good. It meant someone else could be accounted for at the scene of the crime. "Check it again," said the captain. "This mech isn't a first timer. No way they could be. Not with how long we've been following this." Despite it being only a few solar-cycles, whoever had done this was still skilled.

"They could just be intelligent," said the seeker, sitting back in his seat calmly. "But, whoever the oil belongs to, I'm sure the pede-print will match the 'bot, too." He pulled out the cast that had been made. "It's certainly not Megatron's."

No. Definitely not. The size was too small. Even if he wasn't armoured up, the shape of the print was. "Run it through the database, too. You never know what might come up."

"Of course," said Zydrate, giving a nod. "Ist there anyone who du can contact about the body?"

Prowl nodded. "We have a name. We just need to call the femme's parents and notify them." It was always a grave job to do so, and usually told face-to-face rather than a call. He gathered it was probably due time that he notified them. After all, their daughter was sitting on a steel slab in a morgue. She may be dead, but she was still someone's daughter.

"What about the print? If it doesn't match anyone in the system?" asked Databyte, looking to the larger 'bot.

"Then we rally everyone in that sector up and match it against the workers," stated Prowl. "That pede-print belongs to someone down in those mines. There may be a few hundred workers, but process of elimination will help us there. Plus, we'll ask them to do an oil test. If they refuse, then it's your job to check up on their backgrounds. They're an instant suspect if they deny. Got that?"  
Both Databyte and Zydrate nodded. "Good," he noted. He then turned, heading back out of the labs. He'd have to head to the femme's patent's home and tell them the news. He wished to Primus that he didn't have to, but he would take the burden.

**Author's Comment:**

****A very special thank you to *Wooden-Flashlight who wrote Databyte foe me in the first scene there with Karmashock. We both love how these two interact with one another, and so I promised they'd share a scene where we could co-write it and she could play Databyte-considering he IS her character. XD

So, yes, some interesting Data/Karma interactions going on there. I love the little game they're playing. Both stubborn, haha.

A lovely little morning scene with Megatron and Shockwave, was is always enjoyable for me to write/see. 3

And of course, Layce coming down to identify the body. And a special thank you to ~xLosersRuleTheWorldx for giving me the name Eclipse to use as I was completely STUMPED for femme names. So thank you very much for that. =3

It's actually quite nice to see Prowl being kind. Never know... maybe Prowl and her will end up in a relationship? LOL Oh the thoughts... Tempting...


	8. Chapter 8

Part VIII

Lifting his hand, Shockwave knocked on the door of the apartment. Even though Megatron was innocent, he still felt rather guilty for having hit his old friend across the face. He figured he should probably apologise for acting the way he had. Seven wasn't in the right for accusing Megatron, but if he were simply acting as a 'friend', then he couldn't exactly punish him for that.  
As the door opened, he took a step back, his single optic meeting with the mech. "Are you free?" he asked, his voice simple, but not apologetic.

Seven leant a hand against the threshold, a little surprised to see the former Decepticon. "Why? You gunna hit me again?" he asked. "Or has Megatron finally been locked away? I'm sure with a personality like his, he'd be more than proud to admit to such dirty crimes."

Shockwave gave a gruff and out of character sigh, pushing the mech inside and closing the door behind him. "If you must know, I came here to apologise for hitting you," he said, though sharply. "However, I am beginning to think that it may have been a mistake considering the way you are acting."

Pushing the mech's hand from him, Seven gave a scoff. "You basically _punched_ me in the face, Shockwave! You think I'm just gunna let you stroll into my house? I'm sorry, but I'm not some war prisoner you can fuck around with and interrogate."

Okay, Shockwave understood completely that the mech may be a little hostile towards him. He folded his arms, though, Seven walking into the kitchen of the small and grubby little apartment. "It was a backhand."

Stopping in his tracks, Seven frowned, his optics looking to the other mech in the house. "Okay, 'backhand', whatever. You still hit me, man. And _fuck_, if that's what your backhand feels like, then I don't wanna be on the receiving end of a punch..."

Shockwave simply placed his hands behind his back as he watched the mech topless, antennae perked up. "Either way, I did want to apologise for striking you. I shouldn't have. It was out of line. And it made me realise that maybe I have changed from since we were just sparklings."

Picking up a bottle, Seven swigged it back for a few mouthfuls before he put it back on the counter. "Yeah? No shit," he snorted. "You used to be, like... the size of me. What they put you on in war? Roids or something?"

Admittedly, the violet mech was taken aback at the thought of having taken any drugs. "No," he said, giving a light chuckle. "It's what training does. If you wish to be a soldier, you are required to be stronger than the average mech. And if not, at least have something you are skilled at that can outweigh your lack of strength."

"So, I guess being a good fuck doesn't count for that, right?" said Seven, looking at his old friend as he stiffened. "I'm just kidding, Shockwave. Primus, relax a little. You have to get used to the fact that I make porn, okay?"

"I thought you only produced the films," said Shockwave, still standing upright in the same spot. He didn't really know how to take the fact that the kid he grew up with was now recording pornography. He doubted he'd ever get used to it.

Seven shrugged a little. "Gotta start somewhere, right? Not all of us can be big shot warriors and... whatever the hell you are now. How did you even get used to leading a normal life after something like war?" Hell, it couldn't be as easy as turning off a switch. Didn't they have to go through adjustment programmes and shit like that?

Unlooping his hands from behind his back, Shockwave's body loosened a little as he took a seat in the lounge. "Clearly, I haven't been adjusting as much as I thought I was," he said, disappointment in his voice. "Otherwise I would not have hit you."

The smaller 'bot simply looked at the former commander. "Man, would you cut the bullshit?" he snapped, folding his arms. "You're bonded. You were even having a kid. Yeah, you hit me, and I didn't like it, but at least you apologised." He knew he had been an arse the last few times he and Shockwave had been in the same room, but maybe it was time to try and forget all of that.  
Shockwave had been a good friend to him when they were growing up, letting that go just seemed so wrong. Especially when he was the one who ditched and abandoned his friend just because of his sexuality. He was the one who should still be apologising. No, he didn't like Megatron, and he never would, but he still wanted Shockwave as a friend.

Shockwave looked up to his old friend who moved into the room and sat on the other lounge. "War does change you, Seven. It's been hard on many of us, having to return to a civilised life. But I was a young mech when I joined the ranks, and I knew what life was like before the war. I can act civilly. I was just… Sometimes it is hard to control the urges—remember that there is law and that I must obey it now."  
He sighed as he ran his long fingers down an antennae. "It is in my oil to take commands, Seven. Even if I were never in war, I'd still be taking commands from someone above me-,"

"Is this why you're with Megatron?" asked the shorter mech, folding his arms against his bare chest. "So, what? The war ends but you can't give it up just because you're half droid? So you fall to your knees just to feel satisfied that you're pleasing someone? Fuck, Shockwave, you're so much better than that!"

"No! I'm not!" snapped the violet mech, standing up from his seat. "You think I'm some child! I am not a sparkling, Seven. I am my own mech, yes, but it satisfies my programming to be commanded! To be given a purpose in life. Do you think that I would be happy living a life without command, order and rank? I can't be. Why? Because I was born with this. It's in my programming. My mother was a service droid, and she passed that down to me. No matter what you say, or anyone else, I will _always_ search for someone to command me."

Seven looked to the violet mech, a look of disbelief on his face. "So what? You came here to apologise to me because you hit me for standing up for your commander?" he asked. "Shockwave, that mech is nothing but a murderer! He's not even a _leader_ anymore! He's a filthy rapist who raped and murdered those femmes, and in enough time, he'll do the same damn thing to you! And you know what scares me the most!?" he said, "The fact that you'd do nothing about it! You'd just let it happen because you can't defy him! I'm sorry, but I can't just stand by and let that mech put you in your grave. That mech deserves to be locked in prison for what he's done!"

"Megatron would never harm me," said the former commander. "And he did not commit those crimes! He was set free last night."

Set free? Primus, was he fucking serious!? Seven gave a frown, shaking his helm once more. Well, to be honest, he didn't even know he had been arrested, but he couldn't blame the cop who had done it.  
"So he _was_ the suspect?" he asked, his voice going calmer as he watched the violet mech sit back down. He passed him a cube of energon, but Shockwave simply rolled it with his fingers, letting it hide between his palms.

"He handed himself in," he said, looking up. "Because I told him that you had come over, and that I had doubted him. Should that not be enough proof for you that Megatron is a better mech than you think he is?"

Nothing was going to change Seven's mind. Megatron was a killer, and he always would be in his mind. He sat further back in his chair, though, giving a sigh as he ran a hand down his face. "Look, what do you want me to say? I'm wrong?" he asked, watching the other mech. "Megatron's killed a bunch of innocent 'bots. Once a rapist, always a rapist, Shockwave. It's in his nature. He's just got bad oil. You can't _change_ him."

Shockwave stood from his seat once more, putting the cube down onto the coffee table. "You _are_ wrong, Seven," he said, his antennae perking up. "Megatron _has_ changed. No, you are right, I cannot change him. I _will not_ change him. He has been the one to accomplish that. And you cannot deny that."  
Moving to the threshold, he placed his hand against it before turning his helm back. "I would never throw a friendship out the window, Seven, but your constant vendetta against Megatron? It could land you in prison. And I'm hoping to Primus you're not stupid enough to have framed my mate."

With wide optics, Seven watched as the door closed, Shockwave leaving the apartment. He gave a growl, throwing his cube across the room. Droid or not, Shockwave was better than Megatron. But having _framed_ the mech!? Was Shockwave insane!? Then again, with the way he had been acting around the two, he was lucky he wasn't the one Prowl was searching for…

*****  
"So you're still not willing to talk about what happened?" asked Karmashock, leaning his hands against the counter in Megatron's kitchen. He had told the mech that he had spoken to Databyte last night—not that the mech had revealed what had happened between them. He knew that the reason Megatron wasn't saying anything was because of shame. Or so he was thinking, anyway. Still, he figured after everything else he had told him about his life, sharing the floor with Databyte wouldn't have been that bad. He'd done worse, right? What was he hiding?

Placing his mug down, Megatron swallowed hard as he looked away from his therapist. "Look, my father and Statik were just over to badger me about who the fuck is framing me, I really don't need that… _mech_ on my plate right now. Kaon needs new officers, because someone like Databyte? No one can trust him."

Karmashock watched the mech intently. "I'm just not understanding why you can't tell me about what happened between you two," he said. His voice wasn't pushing, he was just trying to understand why Megatron could tell him that his mother molested him, but he couldn't share what Databyte had done. He figured his mother's molestation had been the worst of the mech's childhood trauma. Hell, when Megatron was with Databyte, he was out of the asylum—a grown mech.

"Why do you care so much!?" snapped the older 'bot, his optics scorching now as he looked to the motorbike. "Why are you even going behind my back and _talking_ to that mech!? Your sessions are with _me!_ Not him!" Not that he wasn't positive that Databyte was probably just as fucked up as he was.  
He then realised something, pushing his hands from the table and looking at the younger mech questioningly. "Please don't tell me you're sessioning that mech. Because if so…"

The therapist gave a wave of the hand. "Megatron, I don't snitch on patients, but considering he _isn't_ one, then no, I'm not sessioning him," he said, his optic brows furrowing for a moment. Even if he was, he couldn't blatantly tell Megatron who his patients were. It was against the terms of service in his firm.  
"Would it honestly be that much of a problem if I were to session him?" he asked rather casually, though watching Megatron very carefully. He took a bite of what looked like an apple, holding it in his hand as he leant off the counter, brushing down his coat.

Megatron's optics narrowed, knowing what the mech was trying to do. He folded his arms. "I'm sure you sessions others I am not fond of, Karmashock. It's your job to do so. However, if I were to find out that Databyte was spilling things I didn't want him to… Well, let's just say nothing good would come from it."

"Is that a threat to me or him?" asked the Australian-accented 'bot.

"Take it any way you like it, Karmashock," said the former warlord, moving away from the kitchen and walking into the main room. He was already rather annoyed with Puncture and Statik coming over to talk to him about the arrest. Everyone just seemed to be on his back about shit. Yes, he wanted this bastard caught more than anyone! But that didn't mean he wanted others to hound him for fucking information! If anything, he just wanted to be left alone.

Following Megatron, the therapist's shoulders fell a little. "Megatron, I don't want to be pushy-,"

"Then _don't_ be!" was the snappy remark, the former Decepticon turning back around to face the smaller mech. "What happened between Databyte and myself is for _no one_ else to know! It's not even important! My problems don't stem from that mech! He was merely an… obstacle in my path!"

"An obstacle? Megatron, the mech called you a 'patient'!" he said, his optics arching. "Look, I'm not gunna force you to tell me what happened between the two of you, but hiding it like this? It's worrying me. I mean, out of all the things in life that you've done or that has been done to you?" He shrugged his shoulders a little. "How could it possibly be that bad?"

Slumping himself moodily onto the couch, Megatron bit down onto his tongue, hard enough to draw oil from it. He mentally cursed to himself before releasing his teeth, swallowing the tangy taste of oil and letting his optics gaze at the wall across the room.  
Why did it matter so much? Why did it matter to Karmashock? Why did having to expose is matter so much to himself? He just… didn't like feeling like a slave to anyone. And Databyte had done that to him. He had made him feel like a victim all over again. Yes, it had a purpose. It reminded him that he was a no good killer, and it was his way of redemption. But it just seemed so fucking _pathetic!_  
He'd just killed Char… And then he'd killed Chatter. He frowned to himself. Primus, it seemed that for the time he knew Databyte, it was the only time he was actually afraid to commit such horrible crimes. And that pissed him off! He had allowed that mech to gain control over him. Just like his mother had.  
"I can't," he said, shaking his helm. "It's bad enough I let my mother do the things she did to me. But this time? This time I could have truly done something about it. Instead?" He gave a saddened laugh, his optics flashing to Karmashock for a moment. "Instead, I sat there and let it happen. Because I couldn't turn to Primus."

What exactly had Databyte done to Megatron? The therapist gave a soft sigh, sitting in one of the other seats. "Whatever happened, Megatron, Databyte can't do anything about it now. He's an officer," he said, giving a small laugh. However, the look on Megatron's face said something else.

"Databyte can do whatever he pleases, Karmashock. Officer or not, he's the kind of mech that you never want to cross paths with. True, I was once in a position where I was feared above all. I'm positive others would have taken one look between us and cowered before me rather than him. But those optics say it all."

"Well he seems to be on your side," said the therapist, knowing that Databyte's optics only reminded Megatron of Gammaray's. They had been the same colour, and an instant threat to the mech. Maybe even a controlling mechanism for the much smaller mech. After all, size certainly wasn't a fear factor.

Megatron could have laughed. Yes, the mech seemed to be on his side. He had said from the start that he hadn't done it. That wasn't for his sake, though, Databyte was just being honest. He relaxed in the chair a little bit, though, placing his hands together and beneath his chin.  
"He was just doing his job," he said, his optics glancing at the coated motorbike. "He always was very good at it. Now, can we please talk about something else? I've had enough stress on me for one solar-cycle."

Karmashock nodded immediately, not pushing the topic any further. Eventually, and maybe when all of this was over, Megatron would come to him in his own time and reveal what had happened between the two 'bots.

*****  
Down in the lab, Zydrate tapped at the data-pad in front of him, going through different analysis for a number of things. It was quiet and cold down here—just the way he preferred it. Databyte was sitting at his own lab table. They were simply waiting on more orders from Prowl, or any new evidence to come up.  
Giving a soft sigh, he let his fingers drum across the bench, his tongue playing with the piercing that sat in the centre of his bottom lip. As much as he liked the silence, having no results was a real big kick in the aft. He just wanted this crime solved.

With optics narrowing, Databyte smacked his palm onto the table, causing the Nazi-looking mech to jump and turn around. "Would you please _stop_ that Primus-awful noise!?" he snapped, Zydrate's gloved fingers going to a halt as he complained about the living. His shoulders relaxed as the room fell silent once more. However, the both of them perked up when one of the machines beeped.

Immediately, Zydrate jumped from his seat and grabbed the data-sheet that came out. "Mein Primus… we have a match!" he said, quite surprised. The mech wasn't on the actual criminal system as he'd never been locked away. He'd been reported, though, and stamped. Not for oil, just for prints.

Snatching the sheet from the other mech's hands, Databyte smirked a little as he took in the image of who it was. "Tell Prowl. He'll be pleased to know we've found our perpetrator."

**Author's Comment:**

****Shockwave's too kind a mech to not go and apologise for his actions unless the mech completely deserved it. Yeah, we probs think Seven totally deserved to be put back in his place, but this is Shockwave. He may have been a commander, but he's an intelligent mech and knows when he's done wrong. He's very disciplined. Also a little view on how he sees his more... controlling side. The fact that he needs order and command to be satisfied. And that it's simply in his blood to do so.

But hey, look at that! The test came back as a positive to someone. I guess ya'll just gunna have to wait and see.


	9. Chapter 9

Part IX

"You're kidding me!" snapped the mech, watching as his hands were cuffed. They couldn't be serious! Raping and murdering those femmes!? Tulkah growled, eyeing the mech that cuffed him. He was pushed out the door, making him grunt.

Grabbing the mech, Prowl pushed him forward. "Don't act like you're innocent," he barked. "We know all about your past with Megatron, as well as Layce. My officers here were kind enough to fill me in on the details," he sneered.

That bitch had actually gone to the cops!? After he had threatened her!? Tulkah cursed to himself. Okay, so yes, he beat his bonded and had some rough sex with her, but the bitch deserved it! Plus, that didn't mean he had become some raping bastard like Megatron had!  
"I think I'll get a lawyer," he said, his voice dark as he was pushed down the corridor. He heard Prowl give him his rights, and he merely gave a roll of the optics. How the hell was he going to get out of this one? This was all Megatron's fault. He was going to kill that mech.

*****  
Megatron gave a smirk as he pulled his mate closer to him. "I can't believe you think someone like Seven would ever be capable of framing me. That mech is nothing but a moron," he said, his fangs showing as he laughed once more, trying to imagine that mech beating up a femme. Please, he was nothing but a weak-aft pansy. It was a sweet thought that Shockwave would threaten him like that, but still. He knew Seven wasn't capable of doing anything like that. He was all talk and no action.

"I didn't say he did it," corrected Shockwave, "I merely said it would have been stupid of him if he were the perpetrator." He doubted Seven could do such a thing. However, he was quite capable of hiring someone else to do the dirty work for him. No, Seven wasn't the wealthiest of mechs, but he did have a new job, and he was beginning to somewhat get his career back together—even if it wasn't exactly Shockwave's idea of a real career.

"Yes, well…" muttered the older mech. "Whoever is doing this has a much deeper vendetta against me. Maybe a former soldier, even. Someone who knows even a little on my past victims." He thought for a moment, feeling his mate go quite still against him. Primus, he had a lot of enemies out there. 'Bots that didn't even know him, but merely hated him for what he had done or caused to their families. He certainly wasn't the most popular mech on Cybertron. He was just pleased that most of the records of war had been removed, and that he had made a deal for his freedom.  
Life was never going to be was easy for him, but he could try. Plus, the fact that others still feared him was enough to make no foolish mech try to kill him. It would only take a click of his fingers to have former soldiers in the palm of his hands once more. Shockwave wasn't the only loyal Decepticon he had had.  
"A lot has happened in the last few solar-cycles, Shockwave," he stated, his voice somewhat soft. "There's always been part of me that thought that this would happen to me. Or I would relapse again. I know that I may not have this time, but… if there ever is a time that I do, I could not blame you for leaving me if you needed to."

What? Where had this come from? Shockwave looked up to the mech's vermillion optics, something sad in them. He'd gotten used to seeing Megatron as himself rather than the powerful and out of control leader he had been just a few Earth years back. Primus, he had always been able to see through that charade, though. He'd just never approached the issue. Not while he was under Megatron's orders. Not when he knew how hot-tempered the mech could get. It would have simply been out of line. He was a soldier. He did not question. The only thing he did was help strategize his leader's war plans, as well as use the science labs with Starscream.  
"I could never leave you," he finally said, his optic still looking to his former leader's. "Even if you treated me like one of those femmes back in the day—I couldn't leave you." There would always be something that would keep Shockwave there. He'd take punishment after punishment just to stay by the mech's side. It wasn't exactly something he could explain. It was just something that he knew and felt in his spark and gut.

Sometimes Megatron wished that his mate didn't idolise him so much. Sometimes he _knew_ his own problems were bringing Shockwave down. Hell, the mech deserved so much better. "I'll make a deal with you," he said, taking the mech's hand into his once more and leaning the lavender knuckles against his lips. "If I ever treat you like one of those common whores, I will order you to leave me. And if you don't… I will sacrifice myself for your safety."

Was he insane!? Shockwave's antennae perked up as he looked to his lover in shock. What was he talking about? "Megatron—no!" he said, quite orderly that time. "Do not think such things. That is nothing but nonsense!"

"It's not nonsense when I could very well kill you simply because you said something wrong to me, Shockwave," said the older 'bot, watching as his former soldier stood up from the lounge.

"When has that even crossed your mind?" asked Shockwave, his voice sounding rather sarcastic now, even if it was a little out of character for him to do so. "Megatron, just because someone is framing you, does not mean that you will do these horrible things you speak of. If anything, you've never harmed me. Yes, we've had arguments, and we may have become violent at times—but we're mechs! We're bonded! It's expected in any relationship that we cannot agree on every-little-thing."  
He turned back to his mate, who was simply sitting down on the couch, his arms against the sides of the lounge, like he had sat during the war in his own throne. Argh, even now, when they weren't agreeing on something, he simply sat like that! That powerful stance. That damn… gorgeous mechly stance with his thighs open, his optics dark.  
Shockwave raised a hand and placed it against his helm. "Megatron…" he said, crouching down before his once leader. He did not bow, even though his body was so used to doing so, but Megatron had 'taught' him not to. "What has happened in your past was, in fact, your past. If you are worried about harming me—don't be. I am much stronger than you think. I mean that emotionally and physically. Everything in my being tells me that you would never harm me on purpose. Why can you not have more confidence in yourself?"

Megatron was calmer than he thought he would be in a situation like this. Yes, he had a temper, but he also had major mood-swings when he was younger. Hell, he still had them now, but they were less than they once were. It may have simply been his worry, though.  
He leant forward, placing his elbows to his knees, his fingertips brushing up against Shockwave's jaw-line. "Why do you have such confidence in me?" he asked. "Not even Karmashock could believe me when I told him that it was not me. And you can't deny that you didn't doubt the truth, either."

Shockwave's helm went down in shame as Megatron mentioned that. "I apologised for that," he said, his antennae going back.

"Then why do you think it will never happen? That I will be this… dream you think of? Shockwave, I am a violent mech. I always have been, and I always will be. It's just in my oil," he said, standing up from his seat and moving past the still crouched violet mech.  
He placed his hands to the back of his helm as he gave out a large exhale. "You idolise me as if I am the most perfect mech on this planet. As if I've done none of the things I did in my past. I raped and slaughtered millions of innocent lives!" he said, his voice getting louder as he turned back around to face his mate, who was now standing on his pedes once more.  
"I only say this because I worry for you. Because I don't _want_ to lose you. I _can't_ lose you. But you have such faith in me. Faith which I have no idea where it comes from. You've known me for stellar-cycles, you've seen what I'm capable of! And still, you stand there as if I am not to be punished for my crimes."

"You punish yourself every day, Megatron," spoke the English-accented mech. "What do you want me to say? _Primus_ deserves to punish you? You know my thoughts on that." No, Shockwave didn't believe in any kind of religion but the fact that Primus was once alive. That was fact to them. However, he believed in fact, science and logic. There was no faith in Primus for him. None at all.

Megatron's optics narrowed for a moment. "You're really going to go there?" he asked. "You know very well that I hate that bastard and I wish that I didn't believe in such lies. It wasn't my fault it was stuck into my brain when I was just a kid, Shockwave. Believe me, every solar-cycle I wish that I was like you and didn't believe in such filth."

"This isn't even about that," said the violet mech, giving a sigh as they had moved off subject. "This is about you, Megatron. About you having no faith in your own actions. That you are determined to believe that one day you will snap again. Well give me proof that it will happen, and then I will believe you. Because ever since I've been bonded to you, my life became a thousand times better than it ever was. And if you wish for me to bring mathematics into this, I will."  
He watched as the silver mech simply stood, having gone silent. He knew he'd been defeated. He always was when it came to this. Why wouldn't Megatron just stop it, then? He knew it was a lost cause. However, he knew it wasn't that simply just to let go. Especially not with Megatron's past.  
Moving forward, he placed his hand against the mech's chest and moved into him. "Megatron, you may not see it the way I do, and I can't blame you for that. We all see ourselves differently. We focus on our flaws. But when I look at you, I can see nothing but perfection. Because I've found everything I need in you. By not being perfect, you've become perfect. I wouldn't have fallen for you otherwise. You know I'm picky…"

Looking down, Megatron didn't exactly know whether to take that as a compliment or not, but he understood what the mech was trying to say. "I suppose," he muttered. Still, it was never easy for him to see himself the way Shockwave saw him.  
Once upon a time, when most of his sanity was gone, all he cared about was himself. He was egotistical. Narcissistic. He always knew he had flaws, but they weren't important. The important thing was that he had gained an army on his side. And he was feared. He was in control. But it worried him that maybe Seven was right. Maybe one day he really would become that mech again. What was stopping him?  
He focused on the mech that was against him, feeling the warm spark-beat of his lover against his own chest. Well, it should have been obvious. It was Shockwave stopping him. He had a purpose to control himself now. Someone else to protect and even get praise off from time to time.  
He was about to say something when he heard a knock on the door, making his hands fall from his mate. "Were you expecting someone?" he asked, the violet mech having turned his helm to the door, too.

"No, not that I recall," said Shockwave, letting himself go from the former warlord. He walked to the door and opened it. "Nebula? Why are you here?" he asked, his spark going a little tight now considering Megatron was home. He was fine with meeting her alone, but he had issues when Megatron was with her.

"Yes, it's always a pleasure to see you, too, Shockwave," she said, giving a flat look to the mech as she pushed the door open. "We got someone," she said, nudging her helm towards Megatron.

The larger mech approached the door, surprised. "Who is it?" he asked, his voice having gone into an almost growl now. Whoever this bastard was, he wanted some personal time with them.

Nebula gave a shrug. "You know I'm not really meant to give you information like that until it's certain, right?"

Megatron smacked his palm against the door. "Don't give me that bullshit, femme. You came here for a reason. It wasn't just to gloat—even though I know you enjoy doing so. Now tell me, who framed me?"

Well, the femme couldn't deny the fact that she enjoyed teasing the scrap out of him. She smirked. "You're lucky I'm not on the case, or I could get into a lot of trouble. Fine, I'll tell you, but you can't say you heard it from me, alright? Or I'll have you thrown in a cell again."

"Just give the mech an answer," snapped Shockwave, his antennae going back as he over-towered the much smaller, violet femme.

"Sheesh, alright, alright. It's some guy called Tulkah. You know him?"

At the name, Megatron's jaw went tight, his fingers scraping down the door. That bastard fuck! He should have known! The way he had flaunted himself down in the mines at the femme's ceremony? How he had walked around and teased Layce like he owned her again. He was certain he was going to get away with it. Well, he was caught now. He'd made a mistake.

Nebula watched as the mech's fingers ripped up the paint on the door, an optic ridge raising. "I'll take that as a yes…"

*****  
"I can't believe this bullshit!" spat the mining truck, giving a growl as the door closed when the other officer walked in. "I'd never fall to that level! You've got it all wrong! That bastard 'Con did this, not me! He's just blaming me! I'm the fucking victim here!"

"If I were you, I'd shut your mouth," snapped Prowl. "Megatron may be scum, but we're not stupid. We know what you've done. How you did it. How you got Megatron's DNA from that brawl you two had."  
No, originally he didn't know anything about what had happened. It was Databyte who had told him how Tulkah had been placed into the system. Originally, Layce, the femme he had just spoken to this morning to identify the body, was his bond-mate. He cringed at the thought of any femme having to be bonded to him.  
He had learnt that the femme had reported him to Databyte (who had been the only officer in the room at the time). Layce hadn't pressed charges, but Databyte had kept his name in the system—only to get a complaint later on by the actual mech, saying that Megatron had almost killed him in the car park at some café in downtown Kaon.  
Tulkah had written a full report on what had happened, and Databyte had put it in the system, and he had taken his prints, too, considering he had thrown the first punch. He wasn't booked, but Tulkah had agreed to put his prints in the system just to get the mech off his back. He hadn't agreed to an oil sample, though. Apparently that was too much to ask for—and now he knew why. The only thing left now, was why Tulkah hadn't pressed charges against Megatron. Was he planning to do this all along? So Megatron would get locked away for more than just assault, and for rape homicide instead?

The spiked mech's jaw dropped for a moment. "His DNA!? Are you fucking kidding me!?" he asked, his hands going tight against the table he was seated at in the interrogation room. "Man, you guys are severely fucked if you think I'd go anywhere _near_ that mech for a DNA sample! I mean… c'mon, he _rapes_ for a living!"

"And so have you," snapped Databyte, opening the door and stepping inside, handing Prowl one of the reports. At the sight of the panicking mech, a slight smile curved the corner of Databyte's almost straight lips. And surprisingly, a dark, smooth laugh came from the back of his throat.  
"It was quite clever of you, to take the DNA that was on your fist from when you hit Megatron across the jaw. We've put it all together now, in pretty little pictures. Would you like for us to explain that to you?" His tone was clearly demeaning.

"The… What!?" questioned Tulkah. "You believe that shit!? Oh, man, you're more pathetic than I thought! I asked for a damn lawyer! Where the hell is he? And why the hell are you locking me up!? You have no right to do this!"

Prowl sat down. "We are not locking you up, this is an interrogation room. We read you your rights, and you are the one who is continuing to talk. It would probably do you better to just confess to us, considering we could tell the D.A that you were cooperative. They might cut you a deal. But I have a feeling you're not going to confess, are you?"

"Confess to what!? I didn't do anything!" the former miner yelled once more, smacking his palm down onto the table as he stood up. How the fuck was he going to get out of this!? Getting blamed for something Megatron clearly did. It was ridiculous! How the hell did they even tie him to these crimes!?  
"I can't believe this. You're gunna take the word of that fucking faggot over me!? He's nothing but a dirty rapist! He's nothing but a filthy mech who enjoys beating any femme that resembles that whore of a mother of his!"

Prowl quirked an optic ridge. "And how would you know that detail?" he asked, Tulkah stopping in his tracks to look at him. "Did Megatron… _tell_ you this? I, for one, can't see Megatron revealing something like that to someone like you. Can you, Databyte?"

The seeker folded his arms tightly against his chest. "Unless you two are accomplices? Maybe they discuss such filthy acts for pleasure. After all, once a rapist, always a rapist."

Where they fucking insane!? Like he would _ever_ side with that fucked up mech! The mining truck shook his helm. "Like I'd ever work with a fag like him. I don't work with aft-fuckers. Besides, I got my resources!"

"So you admit you 'work', though?" said the captain.

"That's not what I said! Stop twisting my words!" He gave an aggravated sigh, leaning his back against the wall of the musky room. "I know how you 'bots work. You twist everything so no matter what it looks like, it's my fault. Fuck you. I'm not saying another word until my lawyer gets here."

The Datsun looked to his subordinate, Databyte simply giving a shrug. They couldn't do anything more. "Fine. Enjoy your stay, Mr. Tulkah. I'm sure the families of the two femmes you beat and raped will be pleased to see your aft in prison."

As the door slammed closed, Tulkah looked back at the now empty room, sitting back down at the table. That fucking bastard. He'd have Megatron's aft for this. He didn't care how. He'd get into a fight in front of the station if he had to, just to get the mech locked up. This time, he'd have the cogs to actually press charges against him. The only reason he hadn't was because, deep down inside, he was piss scared of the former warlord.  
Megatron wasn't just the average skin-head he could fuck around with and bully. He was older than him, he was stronger than him, more experienced and fucking massive. He was the damn _leader_ of the Decepticons. The only reason he picked on him was because he knew how fucked up he was, and the fact that he had weened Layce away from him. That bitch was _his!_ And he's taken her away from him! No one took away his property and got away with it! Not even Megatron.

*****  
"You honestly think he's smart enough to do that?" asked Megatron, touching his still scabbed over bottom lip from the brawl he and Tulkah had gotten into almost a cyber-week ago. He was pissed. More than pissed. He was raging inside. How dare that little fucker take advantage of him like that!? And then to think, how perverse it was that he had _kept_ his oil!

The dark coated mech nodded. "Ja, so we suspect, anyway. We have enough proof für a warrant, und we have a team searching the place für further evidence zhat can connect him to the crime. He has lawyered up, though. So we won't be getting too much information from him."

Of course. Megatron gave a sigh. He was relieved that this was over and that they had caught someone. But stealing his DNA like that? Using him!? Framing him!? How he wanted to get that mech's throat and strangle him to death.  
"How did this even happen?" he asked, Shockwave by his side. "Why didn't he press charges against me? I didn't even know he went to the police…" It all just seemed so surreal. Like it wasn't really happening. He was pleased that the little shit was getting what he deserved, though. He just hoped a jury wouldn't believe his lies. He knew just how manipulative he was.

"I reported him…" said a soft voice, causing the larger mech to turn around and look at her. Layce had heard that her ex had been arrested. She frowned, though was relieved that everything had been cleared up. Hell, she didn't even _know_ Megatron had been arrested and been a suspect of this. But it all made sense now. Tulkah had had it in for the mech ever since he meddled between the two and stood up for her. He wanted payback.

A little surprised, Megatron's optics watched the femme as she was holding a warm mug of take-away energon in her hands. "Why are you here?" he asked.

"I told her what happened," said Prowl, having escorted the femme inside. "I thought she had a right to know that the mech who beat and raped her repeatedly had been arrested. Besides… she wanted to see you." There was a light growl in his voice as he said the last sentence. Layce had explained to him what had happened between Tulkah, her and Megatron. And he couldn't understand how anyone would idolise someone like that mech.

Ignoring the scowl that came from Prowl, Megatron turned to Shockwave. "I need to talk to Layce, if you wish, you can head back home," he said, placing his hand to his mate's shoulder. "I'll catch a cab."

Shockwave was hesitant for a moment, not exactly wishing to leave while things were getting explained. But he nodded. "Yes, of course," he murmured, his accent soft. "Don't be too late, you have work tomorrow, I'm sure boss wouldn't want you turning up exhausted."

Megatron gave a small smirk, hearing Layce agree to that. "Go on. I'll be home soon, I promise." He leant in and gave the mech a tender kiss on the helm before the violet mech walked from the plaza. Prowl had moved to his desk, the same as Zydrate. He knew Prowl was keeping an optic on him, though. Primus, it wasn't like he was going to hurt Layce. She was his boss…

"I told Prowl what happened," said the femme, taking a seat on one of the side benches. "I can't believe that bastard would do something like this. Just to get you back for helping me." She shook her head, her optics glazing lightly.

"This is not your fault," said Megatron, sitting beside her, looking at his hands that were between his knees. "If I hadn't have meddled with your relationship, then Tulkah would not have this vendetta against me."

Prowl scoffed, listening to the conversation between the two. "So you'd rather her be raped and beaten every night, just to save you the hassle!?" he snapped.

Megatron's optics went dark as he stood back up. "You're wrong!" he hissed, fangs bared. "I may not get along well with femmes, but what I did was for the better of Layce. I'm glad I had pushed that mech away from you…" he said, turning back to the seated femme. "It's at least something I can be proud of considering how many times I was in his position…"

"Oh, please," spat the officer. "It's one thing for you to come here and claim that you're an innocent mech, but filling this poor femme's head with charming lies? Yeah, you did a good deed, we get it. But that doesn't mean you're the best mech in the world. In fact, you're far from-"

"Prowl!" snapped the femme, standing up from her seat. "What is your problem? I don't think that at all about Megatron… Yes, he saved me from a terrible relationship, but… that was all." She frowned, her optics lowering for a moment as she still saw the much larger mech as a hero to her. She had helped him eventually go to the police and get help.  
No, she didn't talk to Karmashock, like Megatron had said when she gave him his card, but she had come to Databyte, and he had helped her at least reveal to someone else what had happened. No, she didn't press charges, merely because she was so frightened of what could happen to her, but she still told someone. And she'd now told Prowl, too. No thanks to Megatron for pushing her away from him the way he had.

Prowl shook his head. "Go home, Megatron. You don't need to be here. You've caused enough of a stir."

"What, I've gotten your cable in a twist, have I?" laughed the silver mech. "Oh, I get it… You like her."

"Don't be preposterous! We hardly know one another!" growled the officer, giving an apologetic look to the femme considering she was right there. "I said go, before I throw you out myself."

Megatron smirked, his perfect teeth showing before he turned his back. "If you like stubborn mechs, give it a go," he said to his boss, Layce going a dark shade of red. "Maybe he'll let you play with his siren on the way home." He heard Prowl give another scowl, but he turned and walked from the plaza, surprised to see the black ute still sitting in the car park.  
"I thought I told you to go home," he said, Shockwave sitting in the passenger seat. He opened the door and sat in the driver's seat. At least he didn't have to take a cab, though.

"With Prowl in the room, I figured you wouldn't be too long," said the violet mech, giving a light chuckle. "Besides… I worry for you." He gave his lover a soft look before placing his hand to the mech's thigh. "I'm glad that this will all be over soon."

The former Decepticon leader's optics looked to the hand against him before going back to his mate's own golden optic. "I am, too. Now, why don't we stop for a warm meal on the way home?"

"That sounds lovely," said Shockwave, buckling himself up before Megatron turned the ignition, the ute giving a rev before it sped from the car park.

*****  
"I found something," said Databyte, holding up a small sample jar. Inside was something dark. Most likely oil. He got a bag from one of the other officers inside Tulkah's apartment. The place was a mess. A clear sign that the mech didn't care for cleanliness. Primus, he felt disgusting being in this pigsty.

"What is it?" asked one of the other officers, grabbing his radio to speak into it for a moment.

Databyte looked closely at the jar. "We will have to further examine it, but I believe it's oil. I'm guessing the sample that Tulkah used to plant inside the bodies of those femmes." He smirked, putting the tagged bag into one of the containers they had. "I'll tell Prowl right away."

**Author's Comment:**

So, Tulkah... Who guessed it? I think you all did, to be honest. BUT... is something else about to come around the corner and bite you in the arse? You never knooooow. I'm all for drama.

Explains a little between Megatron and Shockwave here, too. I know there are some religious readers out there, so I'm sorry if any of that was offensive, considering Megatron's religion is highly based off Catholicism. And Shockwave is basically an Atheist. Even though Megatron's views on Primus are... highly warped and fucked up in his head from childhood, so yeah.

I did laugh a little bit at the whole Prowl and Layce thing. No, that doesn't mean they're a couple. I'm pretty sure Prowl would think it's highly unprofessional, and Layce is pretty sensitive to opening herself up to any kind of relationship.


	10. Chapter 10

Part X

Sitting down, Prowl watched the mech across from him as he began to move rather nervously. Databyte had run the DNA down in the lab, and as expected, the sample had been a complete match to Megatron's. Now it was just a matter of time before Tulkah was given justice through the Cybertronian law system.  
"So, Mr. Tulkah," he said, the truck looking at him. Having spent the night in one of the cells, he looked rough, though he looked comfortable with his lawyer by his side now. It wasn't going to change anything, though. They had all the evidence they needed, and he was sure a jury wouldn't see through his lawyer's lies.

"If you've got nothing further to discuss with my client, I'd advise you make this snappy," said the attorney, folding his arms as he reassured Tulkah that he couldn't do anything further to him.

Pulling up a bag, Prowl placed it onto the table, pushing it to the prisoner. "I'd like for you to explain how this made it inside your apartment."

Watching the bag, Tulkah's fingers twitched lightly as he eyed it. "W-what's this?" he asked, looking nervously to his lawyer, who simply ordered him to say nothing at all. How could he stay silent, though? What was in the bag!? He wanted to know. If this was some kind of fucking bogus evidence, he'd have their afts!

"Why don't you take a look for yourself," said the officer, nudging his helm towards the bag.

With shaken fingers, Tulkah swallowed, taking the bag and looking at what was inside it. Was this some kind of joke? "What the hell is this?" he asked, looking at the substance inside. There wasn't much. In fact, it looked dry and old, like it hadn't been touched in a long time.

Prowl gave a laugh. "You're going to tell me that you have no idea what that is, and yet we found it in your apartment? Please, you're going to have to work harder than that to convince me that you have no idea what that is."

"I _don't_ know what it is!" snapped the younger mech, his hand slamming onto the table as he stood up. His lawyer hushed him and tried to usher him back in his seat, but he ignored him, pushing him away from him. No, he wasn't going to be treated like he was some stupid kid!  
"You think you're so smart, don't you?" he said, giving a smirk as he folded his arms. "You've got nothing, cop. You just think you do. What, one of your workers plant it in my room while I was locked up here? Please. Who says it's mine? Where's the evidence, huh? Besides, why would I have my own oil in a container like that?"

"You really think we're that stupid to believe that this is your own oil?" asked Prowl, quirking an optic ridge. "This is Megatron's DNA. The same DNA that was found in both of those femmes. Now, tell me, Mr. Tulkah. Why on Cybertron would you have Megatron's DNA in _your_ home?"

Tulkah's optics went wide as he looked at the container, pushing the bag away from him. "Are you kidding me!? This isn't mine!" he yelled, looking back to the officer. "You think I'm that sick to have anything of that mech's inside my house!? That's fucking disgusting! I hate that mech!"

"Well then we both have something in common," snapped the Datsun, eyeing the lawyer as he whispered something into Tulkah's audio—clearly making him uncomfortable. "Look, because you had the cogs to frame Megatron and put him where he truly belongs, I'll cut you a deal. You confess to the murders under insanity, you'll spend a few stellar-cycles getting treatment, and then you'll be free on good behaviour."

"What!?" yelled the smaller mech in disbelief. "And come out like that fucking rapist!? You've got to be fucking with me, right!? I'd _never_ go into one of those things! I'm not crazy like that sick bastard is! He should be the one in here, not me! He's the rapist! He's the murderer! All I did was piss him off a few times!"

Prowl relaxed a little in his seat, giving a shrug. "If you don't confess, then you'll get life in prison for what you've done."

"Life?" asked the attorney, his optics narrowing. "If this is all the evidence you have, Mr. Prowl, I doubt he'll even get ten stellar-cycles. Some phony oil found in his apartment is hardly enough to convict him."

Tulkah turned to the mech beside him. Was he serious? He turned back to the officer, folding his arms. "You hear that? Thanks for the offer, cop, but I think I'll take my chances in court. You can't fool a jury with bullshit lies like you have to the drones around here. And to think, you call yourself a Megatron hater. You should be worshipping the mech who did this, not sentencing him to gaol."

Narrowing his optics, Prowl bit his tongue, not wanting to get himself into trouble. So, no, he wasn't fond of Megatron, but that didn't mean the 'bot who committed these crimes should be free to roam Cybertron. They weren't some kind of martyr. They had brutally beaten, raped and murdered two innocent femmes just to get Megatron as a suspect. They deserved just as much punishment as Megatron did.

"We'll see you and your attorneys in court," said the tall, thin lawyer before motioning for his client to go.

Prowl stood. "As long as we have this," he said, grabbing the bag, "I'll have you know that Tulkah is not free to go. Not without bail. You'll be arraigned shortly. Have a nice stay in prison while your lawyer tries to clear you, Mr. Tulkah," he said, closing the door before they had time to say anything.  
Giving a rather gruff sigh, he sat back down, grabbing the bag and looking at it. Tulkah may have looked like the average idiot, but his plans in framing Megatron had been very clever. More clever than anyone else realised. To get the mech's DNA from his knuckles in a brawl? What the hell was stopping anyone else from doing something like this on Cybertron? Having someone else's DNA was a powerful thing. Hell, he'd known twins to kill and blame it on the other, simply because they shared DNA.  
Shaking his helm, he placed the bag back down. Soon enough, this would all be over, and Tulkah would be sitting in a prison cell where he belonged. He was sure of it.

*****  
It was dragged out, and long. But eventually, the day had come, and Megatron was more than pleased to watch in the back of the courtroom as Tulkah was found guilty of framing him. He had smirked as the judge had smacked his gavel down, sentencing the mech for a minimum of fifteen stellar-cycles in Kaon Prison. And once the sentencing was done, they had made their way outside into the corridor.  
"I can't say I'm fond of being in this place again," he said, remembering both Scrapper's and Starscream's trials here. It was in a different room, but the courthouse was still the same. He just hoped that this was the final time he was here. He was getting rather sick of this place.

Shockwave gave a light hum at that. "Well, I guess we can't expect our pasts to be completely erased, correct?" he murmured, his accented voice soft. He turned his head as the courtroom door was opened, two mech's holding the previous miner who had framed his mate. He instantly looked to Megatron, worried to what might happen.

Seeing the silver mech, Tulkah growled, trying to pull his arms away from the two officers who had him. "This is all _your_ fault, you filthy fuck! I swear to Primus, when I get out, I'm gunna kill you!" He grunted as he was tugged back, but he managed to twist his way free, running for the silver mech.

As Tulkah came flying his way, Megatron grabbed the wrist that was closest to him, quickly pushing him against the wall face-first and smacking his arm against the mech's shoulder-blades. He hissed as the mech struggled.  
"You bastard, don't you ever try to touch me! To think, you taking my oil like that? How pathetic must you be!?" he sneered, his optics glowing as Tulkah choked, blood trickling down his nose from the impact. "That's the second time you've broken that, and trust me, where you're going? Oh, you'll be suffering much worse."

"Fuck you!" spat the smaller mech, getting his face smacked into the wall once more as Megatron let go and the two officers grabbed him. His body flopped against them, the impact from the wall making him rather woozy. But it wasn't enough to stop him from struggling once more.  
"I'll kill you! You bastard! Both you and your little faggoty drafter! I swear to Primus!" he yelled, the officers throwing him forward to get him to shut up. However, he didn't, he continued screaming and yelling until he was finally out of range.

Breathing heavily, Megatron frowned, watching to where the mech had disappeared for a moment before turning back to the others who had come to see the trial with him.

"Well… I guess you can't expect a bloke to go down without a fight," said Karmashock, giving a shrug as he looked back to the taller mech. "You both okay? I mean, the sleaze ball is in the can now, so there's nothing to worry about."

Shockwave's optic turned to motorcycle. "If it were that simple…" he said, glancing to his mate. "Unfortunately, a very wealthy price is on both of our helms for being who we are. Our lives will always be at stake as long as we are breathing."

"Yes, but as long as we're here, there will always be a fight," stated Megatron, giving his mate a slight smirk. "Tulkah is not the only one to want me dead. He's just a punk. A ruthless punk who went too far without thinking before he acted. And because of that, it's he who is going to prison while we still stand here."

Well, that was a more optimistic way to think, figured the therapist. "You know, with you walking away three times from this place, I'm starting to think someone up there likes you," he said, rubbing his goatee.

Megatron snorted, halving his optics a little. "_He_ has nothing to do with it," he said. "Sometimes truth just works out for the better in the end." Yes, he'd kept many secrets in his life, but because of those, he had suffered so much. So many demons. He was starting to believe that the truth was the only thing that was really setting him free…

*****  
Down in the cell, Tulkah was being marked and separated to go into the right sector. While this was being done, he was forced down by one of the other officers, being strapped down to what looked like an examination table.  
He looked up at the coated mech, giving a growl. "What the hell are you fuckers gunna do to me, huh!? You've already got me locked up in here like a fucking dog. Now what!?" he spat, eyeing the emerald optics of the officer.

"Oh, Ich vill not be the ein doing anything to you," said Zydrate, hearing the cell doors open. He looked up to the lithe mech who stepped inside, hearing his examination gloves slap down his hand as he placed them on, not saying a word. "He ist all yours, Databyte." He then opened the cell door and walked out, heading back to the morgue.

Breathing hard, Tulkah looked at the skinny mech. He couldn't help but laugh. "What... so they call you in? What are you, like... some fucking midget!?" he laughed, though his spark thumping hard. He couldn't believe this shit was happening to him!

Turning around, Databyte was silent, keeping his calm as the mech on the table insulted him. He'd be suffering in no time later on. For now, he was simply here to give him a routine examination.  
Grabbing one of the tools, he let the light shine against it. They were his tools. He wasn't going to use the horrible prison tools. He would use his own. Besides, he liked to feel right at home when he was examining.  
The former medic was gentle as he removed his precious set of scalpels and the like from their confines. He lined them up in a way that made it clear he did it this way every time he did an examination. His optics were blank as he set down the final instrument, gaze slowly shifting toward Tulkah.  
"I hardly think now is the time to develop an attitude," he said with chilling calmness. "Remember, I can make this simple, or very painful." He reached over and delicately hooked two fingers into the binds, tugging on them to test how tight they were. A bit loose for his taste, but he would give this mech a chance to be still before he drew them tighter.  
After that, he was silent. He went about checking over Tulkah's armoured form for any abnormalities, or anywhere he could hide weapons. As he checked each limb, he scribbled down onto a pad down on the table beside him. He was not gentle in ripping off the modifications that Tulkah had littered about his form.  
With expert movements, he took off all of the spikes that were on his helm, leaving clean, bare armour behind—Tulkah growling and hissing as each part was removed. Every time he removed an excess piece of armour, or a modification or the like, Databyte simply extended his arm behind him to drop it into a box that would be filed away.  
"I'm surprised you don't know who I am," he finally said a bit off-handedly, as he leaned over Tulkah's face to look into his optics, shining a light into them. "After all, it was me that Layce originally reported you to."

Having been squirming with every touch from the mech above him, Tulkah finally stopped when he said that last sentence. He moved his helm to the side to get a better look. "What!?" he snapped. That bitch never reported him! She was too piss poor scared to do something like that.  
"Like that femme ever had the cogs to tell anyone what I did to her. She's nothing but a filthy liar!" he spat, optics narrowing. He did remember Databyte. But it wasn't because of what he was saying; it was because he was the officer that he had reported Megatron to about their brawl in the café parking lot.  
"Wait a second..." he murmured, "I do know you! You're that bastard who I spoke to about Megatron. And now you're sitting here stripping me!?" He scoffed, disgust in his voice. "I guess you're just a law dog like the rest of them, right? One little bit of evidence against me and then somehow _I'm_ the criminal!? That bastard deserves to be locked up, not me! You saw what he'd done to me! Unless you're just another one of those fucking 'Con bastards... What, you just as much of a suck-up to Megatron like that stupid drafter is, too? Pathetic!"

Databyte only lightly smirked at Tulkah's tone. He reached forward to tightly clasp the side of his head, forcing it down onto the table and holding it there, the mech grunting. "Hold still," he said with chilling calmness, using his other hand to hold the light to check his optics. Luckily, he wasn't hiding anything behind the glass.  
There was a gentle click as he folded the laser light up, placing it perfectly in line with its mates on the table. "That one little bit of evidence was what connected you to these crimes," he added as he plucked up a different tool, which he then used to start prying open thicker parts of his armour.  
Even though this was his least favourite part of processing a would-be inmate, Databyte kept that ever-so-slight upturn to the edge of his mouth. He was not gentle, and the more the mech squirmed the more he seemed amused. He eventually took a small moment to himself to tighten the binds on Tulkah's form.  
"It's not the evidence that made you the criminal, you already were. This whole thing just got you caught for your crimes," he said smoothly, popping the armour off his shoulders and letting it clatter loudly to the ground.

The prisoner moved his wrists, or tried to, giving a scowl as they were too tight. "I'm no fucking criminal!" he said, optics harsh, as well as his tongue. "You all think you're so damn smart. Couldn't even catch the right guy. I'm innocent! How many times do I have to tell you this!?" He still couldn't believe that a jury found him guilty just because of the DNA in his house. The DNA that wasn't even _his_. He had no fucking idea how Megatron's DNA made its way into his apartment, but he sure wasn't the one who put it there. Some bastard had set him up, just like they had Megatron. And now he was getting the blame!  
He squirmed a bit more, finding it uncomfortable that the mech was pretty much removing every inch of his armour. Primus, how he hated mechs touching him. It was clear he was homophobic. Even so, he knew he was getting punished now. It didn't matter how much he fought. He had been found guilty for something he didn't commit. And because of that, there was no way out. The case was closed. He'd serve his time for someone else's actions. And that pissed him off.  
Looking up, his optics arched a little, as if to get some kind of sympathy from the other. "Look, man... you know I didn't do this. You're a smart guy, right?" he said, giving a nervous laugh. "Look at me. I'm trash! I couldn't come up with a plan like that! Hell, I didn't report Megatron back then because he scares the fuck outta me!" he admitted. "Why the hell would I frame him now!? Why would I _rape_ and _murder_ just for him!? Just to get him locked away! He's not worth that effort!" His voice was almost begging now.

Databyte's mouth curled back now, his sharp denta forming a glittering grin. He listened intently to every word Tulkah spoke, but meanwhile he began fiddling with other medical supplies. In one hand he held a sealed container with a clear liquid in it; a sedative. In the other, he grasped a syringe with a long needle at the end of it.  
"You're right, you are trash," he whispered, drawling the proper amount into the syringe, then setting it down. Flicking it with the grace only a true medic could have, he pushed the air bubbles out of the liquid. Still, his lethal grin was in please.  
"You didn't do this?" he asked the mech below, his expression becoming blank. "Framed," he added thoughtfully. "Now, why would someone frame you, for framing Megatron? That seems equally ridiculous, if not more. Don't you think so?"  
By now his tone had shifted into something incredibly condescending and nasty. Gingerly setting the needle down, he circled the table a few times, going over a checklist on his data-pad. The medic did this with sadistic slowness, occasionally prying off another section of armour he professionally deemed 'dangerous for incarceration'. By the time he was finished, Tulkah had very little excess armour, and every one of his mods was gone.  
Once finished, he once again picked up the glass tube, injecting the mech with the drug. It was designed to keep him compliant for travel. Because of his crimes, he would be in a high-security sector, even when in transport. He felt the mech struggle, yelling out not to touch him with the needle, but it was easy to prick him.

"I didn't do it..." Tulkah whispered, the effects taking hold of him quickly. He felt his systems slow and his vision got slightly blurry. He hissed at Databyte when he felt the medic's hand rest on his upper arm while he removed the needle from him.  
"I know." Those words bounced around in his cranium for what felt like forever, his slowed mind taking a few moments to register. He realised as the medic pulled away from him that they had been whispered in a scathing tone right into his audio.  
Tulkah's form jerked up sharply as he tried to scream and yell. His optics widened as minute details he never would have caught on his own suddenly seemed clear. He _had_ been framed. And not by Megatron, nor by anyone else he had personally wronged in his life.  
No. It hadn't been Lacye or any of the other femmes and mechs he had been horrible to in his life. The very idea that it was this thin police officer boggled his mind, but now it all made sense.  
It had been Databyte, or so he had said, that Layce had originally reported to. Perhaps the mech had been keeping tabs on him ever since then. _Yes,_ the back of his mind whispered, _that's exactly what happened._  
The former medic had planned this to a T. Had he been the one who raped and murdered those femmes? Somehow, even in light of all this, one of them was much bigger than he. What if he had just happened upon those deaths? His mind still pandered about with possibilities. Without going into Databyte's mind, he would never know.  
_He had access to everything. My files. Megatron's files. He knew how to make it look like Megatron,_ Tulkah thought, unable to form physical words from the wheeling realisation. _How long had he been planning this? How patient had he been, lying in wait for the perfect opportunity?_  
And now, everything had fallen into place. He had ensured that Tulkah had suffered for the crimes in which he had committed, and for much, much worse ones. _Maybe he does have a thing for that fucking faggot,_ he angrily thought. _But putting him through this,_ he mentally laughed bitterly, still struggling to speak aloud. _Perhaps he hates Megatron as much as he hates me._ It didn't matter, though, did it? He was cop! No one would believe him. And yet, he finally found his voice.  
"You-" He jerked his head sharply to stare at the former medic who stood above him, the mirth and malicious ego coming off him in waves. That grin was back, but now he understood the full gravity of what it meant. Before he could go on a full-fledged rant, his mouth was covered by an industrial muzzle, which was bolted into place.  
The 'bot began to struggle with all of his might, but the drug kept his systems in check. He could barely move now, all he could do was shout against his binds and watch as the overhead lights darted past him as he was rolled out of the examination cell. "He bites, you should keep him contained until you make it to his cell," he heard Databyte say.  
Rage and terror bubbled up in his chest as the examination table he was on was forced upward and he was practically dumped into the transport van. He continued to shout and curse under his gag but no one could understand him. As he was shoved to the floor of the transport van, he rolled onto his side. He tried to look up, to silently plead to the guards and officers that were taking him to his prison cell. But all he saw was the thin form of the former medic.  
Tulkah began to shake his head violently, the light from outside slowly being syphoned away by the closing doors of the vehicle. The last thing he saw was two vengeful optics, and the flash of sinister teeth.

_The End… _

__**Author's Comment:**

****I TOLD YOU ALL THERE WAS A TWIST TO BE EXPECTED! 3 bet you weren't guessing it was Databyte who framed both of them, ey? XD

I'm really sorry it took a while to get this posted. I wanted to co-write that last scene with *Wooden-Flashlight and I was a bit lazy and had to find the right time, too. So a major THANK YOU for Z for writing out Data [and parts of Tulkah] in that final scene with me in PP.

Also want to say a major thank you for others who have allowed me to use their OC's and such in this series, too.

I really enjoyed writing a crime based fic, and it's something I'd certainly try again. Of course, I wanted everything to be pretty wrapped up in this final chapter. So I'm sorry if things do jump a little bit, but I didn't want it dragged out, like I've done with past fics ^^; I also really wanted that final scene to have quite a large impact as well.

So, I hope you enjoyed it. And thank you all once more for reading and enjoying my work. :)

If you knew Databyte, this really isn't far fetched for his character. I'm not going to go into depth with that happened. I want that to be a bit of a mystery. But when you're Databyte-anything is possible!

Like all of my fic series, I've allowed critique on this chapter. If you decide to leave one, please leave it for the entire fic and not just this chapter. Thank you.


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